MFA: Stranded Lithuanian trucks to be moved to designated parking lots at Kotlovka border crossing

Due to Vilnius' unilateral closure of border crossings on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, over 1,100 Lithuanian freight vehicles have accumulated in Belarus.

According to a statement from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, in order to ensure the safety and security of the vehicles, a decision has been made to move them to designated parking areas near the Kotlovka border crossing.

Ruslan Varankov, Head of the Information and Digital Diplomacy Department and Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

"For humanitarian reasons, drivers have been given the opportunity to leave Belarus for their permanent places of residence until Lithuania decides to fully reopen the border. We are ready to provide the necessary assistance to those drivers who, for whatever reason, are unable to leave Belarus. We emphasize that all additional costs incurred by freight carriers, senders, and recipients of cargo in Lithuania, other EU countries, and beyond are solely due to the ill-considered, arbitrary, and politicized actions of the Lithuanian authorities."

At the same time, official Minsk reserves the right to apply all legal measures against vehicles.

As a reminder, Lithuania previously decided to recover damages from Belarus for carriers it had inflicted on them. Vilnius expressed dissatisfaction with Minsk's failure to open the Benyakoni border crossing point for them upon their first request. Moreover, the Lithuanian side also started talking about a possible blockade of rail transport.