MINSK, 30 October (BelTA) – Following Lithuania’s decision to close its border with Belarus for one month, several hundred trucks belonging to Lithuanian transport companies found themselves stranded, unable to return to the country, Lithuanian media report.
The Lithuanian National Road Carriers’ Association Linava appealed to the country’s authorities with an urgent request, together with representatives of the business community, to find a way out of this difficult situation.
The association noted that some carriers are trying to return via Latvia or Poland, but huge queues have already formed there. Linava’s Secretary General Narūnas Raulinaitis stated that the situation is critical. He emphasized that drivers are forced to look for alternative routes, which leads to increased costs and disruptions in supply chains. In addition, drivers have to wait for hours without any information, and some are facing problems with supplies and rest.
According to Narūnas Raulinaitis, dozens of trucks cannot leave through Latvian or Polish checkpoints because they have already completed clearance on the Belarusian side, but after the border closure they were not allowed to re-enter Lithuania. He believes this situation raises serious questions regarding drivers’ rights.
He urged the Lithuanian authorities to take swift, coordinated action. “We are asking the government to urgently hold a meeting with representatives of the transport sector in order to find a solution to return carriers’ vehicles to Lithuania and to ensure the further movement of goods,” he stressed.
On 29 October, the Lithuanian government decided to keep the country’s border crossings with Belarus closed for the next month, until 30 November. The Lithuanian border checkpoints Medininkai (Kamenny Log on the Belarusian side) will be restricted, the Salcininkai (Benyakoni) checkpoint will be completely closed. Only diplomats, persons with simplified transit documents, Lithuanian citizens and their families returning home, citizens of EU and NATO countries with family members, foreigners with Lithuanian residence permits or humanitarian visas, as well as those transiting to or from Kaliningrad, will be allowed to cross. In exceptional cases, other individuals may also cross the border with the mediation of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Lithuanian National Road Carriers’ Association Linava appealed to the country’s authorities with an urgent request, together with representatives of the business community, to find a way out of this difficult situation.
The association noted that some carriers are trying to return via Latvia or Poland, but huge queues have already formed there. Linava’s Secretary General Narūnas Raulinaitis stated that the situation is critical. He emphasized that drivers are forced to look for alternative routes, which leads to increased costs and disruptions in supply chains. In addition, drivers have to wait for hours without any information, and some are facing problems with supplies and rest.
According to Narūnas Raulinaitis, dozens of trucks cannot leave through Latvian or Polish checkpoints because they have already completed clearance on the Belarusian side, but after the border closure they were not allowed to re-enter Lithuania. He believes this situation raises serious questions regarding drivers’ rights.
He urged the Lithuanian authorities to take swift, coordinated action. “We are asking the government to urgently hold a meeting with representatives of the transport sector in order to find a solution to return carriers’ vehicles to Lithuania and to ensure the further movement of goods,” he stressed.
On 29 October, the Lithuanian government decided to keep the country’s border crossings with Belarus closed for the next month, until 30 November. The Lithuanian border checkpoints Medininkai (Kamenny Log on the Belarusian side) will be restricted, the Salcininkai (Benyakoni) checkpoint will be completely closed. Only diplomats, persons with simplified transit documents, Lithuanian citizens and their families returning home, citizens of EU and NATO countries with family members, foreigners with Lithuanian residence permits or humanitarian visas, as well as those transiting to or from Kaliningrad, will be allowed to cross. In exceptional cases, other individuals may also cross the border with the mediation of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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