MINSK, 17 March (BelTA) – Cigarette smuggling into Lithuania is ordinary cross-border crime that should be tackled through joint efforts, not a hybrid threat as the Lithuanian side attempts to portray it, Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Sekreta told journalists following a meeting between Belarusian Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin and Lithuanian and Polish carriers on 17 March, BelTA has learned.
“There are numerous issues in bilateral relations with Lithuania. These include security matters, law enforcement issues, and probably the balloons everyone is already tired of, which are used to deliver smuggled cigarettes,” Igor Sekreta said. “What prevents us from reaching an agreement is that we have different definitions of what is happening on the border today. For some reason, the Lithuanian side finds it advantageous to consider this a hybrid threat, because threats are generously funded in Europe. It shocks, it impresses everyone, and requires no further discussion. We, however, believe we are dealing with ordinary cross-border crime involving representatives of different countries. When there is a price difference, there will always be temptation to circumvent the system and make money on it. This, in fact, has always existed on our shared border, as long as there has been a price difference.”
The diplomat stressed that cross-border crime must be fought jointly, through cooperation and dialogue. “It can be fought in the usual, standard way – through dialogue between customs, border guards, law enforcement agencies and security services, through sharing information on smuggling channels and exchanging real-time data. That yields better results. But that requires a long-term approach. If you are driven by short-term interests, then you need an information bomb that explodes and attracts a lot of attention in European Union countries. And that’s entirely different money. We are saying: let’s work together and earn money from freight transportation, from joint scientific and cultural activities. Let’s open the border and make it predictable and safe for citizens of all countries – not just for Belarus, Lithuania and Poland,” the deputy foreign minister urged.
The diplomat noted that technical contacts between border detachment representatives have continued uninterrupted, both with Poland and Lithuania. “But they do not resolve the main issue enshrined in our agreements on the state border regime with Lithuania and corresponding agreements with the Polish side. Naturally, we will discuss prospects for border operations, including the possibility of utilizing the transit potential of Lithuania. This is a broad range of issues that lie beyond the authority of border guards,” Igor Sekreta concluded.
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