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"On Point"
MINSK, 8 November (BelTA) – Despite Lithuania’s attempts to escalate the situation on the border with Belarus, Minsk avoids confrontation and remains open to constructive dialogue, economic expert, head of the Aksios educational center of Giprosvyaz Yuliya Abukhovich said in a new episode of BelTA’s YouTube project V Teme [On Point].
“We are clearly showing that we will ignore our neighbors’ attempts to provoke us with sharp comments. After all, you can’t choose your neighbors. And Belarus is not seeking confrontation [with Lithuania]. We simply don’t need it. We are a state that is open to constructive dialogue,” Yuliya Abukhovich said.
As the Lithuanian side had stated, the border with Belarus was closed due to incidents involving weather balloons with contraband entering Lithuanian airspace. Meanwhile, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that the Lithuanians themselves had been transporting cigarettes via weather balloons from the Belarusian territory.
“Belarusians simply sold the Lithuanians goods that are sold in Belarus. The fact that the Lithuanians decided to transport them via smuggling... Whose problem is it?” Yuliya Abukhovich said. “You [referring to the Lithuanian side] closed the borders, engage in hostile actions against us, yet expect us to defend you? You should do it yourselves.”
In the expert’s opinion, Vilnius’ decision will primarily harm the Lithuanians themselves. This applies not only to the economy but also to interpersonal relations. Yuliya Abukhovich noted that previously, during Soviet times, there were no borders between Belarus and Lithuania, and people freely visited each other. Some Lithuanians are unable to visit the graves of their family members buried in Belarus, because of the Lithuanian government’s decision.
“Again, who has suffered from this decision? Among those who suffered are citizens of the European Union. We are not even talking about Lithuanians anymore. Moreover, the border was closed just before the Saturday of Souls, when many were planning to visit the graves of their relatives,” Yuliya Abukhovich added.
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