Varanков: We Call on Lithuania to Focus on Dialogue Concerning Migration Issues

The Republic of Belarus has urged Lithuania to concentrate on discussions regarding migration challenges. This was announced by Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ruslan Varankov, according to BELTA.

"With genuine curiosity, we have reviewed the statements made by the head of the Lithuanian border guard, Mr. Kiselius, concerning the so-called courses on overcoming fences for migrants on Belarusian territory. While these ideas are, of course, original, they raise several questions. Why don’t Lithuanian border officials obtain information from detained migrants about the specific locations of the mentioned training facilities? Belarus is willing to organize a joint visit for Mr. Kiselius and his colleagues to the border areas to verify these claims," stated Ruslan Varankov.

At the same time, the Foreign Ministry reminded that the core issues of the migration crisis lie elsewhere.

"Why do Lithuanian authorities continue to avoid responding to reports of brutal treatment of migrants and refuse to comment on the role of their citizens detained for organizing illegal crossings? We urge our Lithuanian partners to focus on dialogue, as Belarus has repeatedly proposed, instead of searching for mythical explanations. As before, we are ready to cooperate based on facts and mutual respect," emphasized the spokesperson of the foreign policy department.