We've been ready to open border with Lithuania for long time and haven't closed it – Lukashenko

Belarus has been ready to open the border with Lithuania for a long time and hasn't closed it. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko stated this at a meeting in Minsk, according to BELTA.

"I want to state: we've been ready to open the border for a long time. We haven't closed it. It can resume operations on our side within a few hours. Border guards are generally ready for this," the President said.

The head of state said that during a recent report by the Chairman of the State Border Committee, the situation was reported and Lithuania expressed its desire to defuse the current situation. "To which I replied: 'If Lithuania wants it, the ball is in their court. Please, open the border, and we will work and cooperate, as we have until now.'

'Realizing that the situation surrounding the border closure was complicated, they (the Lithuanian side - ed.) tried to shift the issue from the interstate level to the border outpost level. They, what I call mouse-hunting, approached the Lida border detachment (not a government agency, not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not the government) with something like a request or demand to open the border. We have two border crossings operating there. Open the border at one of the crossings. "We (the Lithuanian side - ed.) are supposedly going to evacuate some cars...'" the head of state recounted.

'I didn't even listen to the rest of this report. I said: 'Okay, as soon as they're ready to evacuate, they'll negotiate with our side...' We don't actually have any customs officers at the checkpoint, nor any border guards. They closed it - they closed it.' Our services have been redistributed to other areas—that was my decision. When they're ready (in Lithuania—ed.), we'll negotiate. If you want to evacuate them, evacuate them," the Belarusian leader declared.

In this regard, throughout the previous day, on instructions from Alexander Lukashenko and under the direction of the State Secretary of the Security Council, the internal affairs agencies gathered all Lithuanian vehicles at the crossing points and placed them under guard. "So that later we wouldn't be accused of doing something bad there. We placed them under guard. If they want to evacuate them, well, we'll negotiate," the President said.

"The vehicles have been gathered and are under guard. Those guarding them asked, I think, 120 euros per day. They paid for the guard. However many days they'll be waiting—multiply by 120 euros—pay, and take the vehicles and their cargo. If this isn't done in the next few days, we will take a decision, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, in accordance with our laws. This could include confiscating these vehicles. They can't be left hanging around on the roads—1,100 or 1,200 huge trucks that were parked somewhere along the road,” the head of state said.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that he had issued a separate instruction regarding truck drivers. “People suffered, and drivers suffered. I gave instructions that the drivers shouldn't be harmed. They are not to blame for anything. The recipients of the cargo in Lithuania are also not to blame for anything. Let them contact their authorities in Lithuania to resolve these issues. Therefore, we will deliver the drivers directly to the border crossing point. Make sure the drivers are not harmed there,” the President instructed. “If they don't want to leave, they can spend the night in their cars, as they did on the road, or in hotels.” We must provide all the drivers—1,100 or 1,500 people—with everything they need. They must be fed, able to wash, and take care of other needs."

"If they evacuate, let them evacuate. That's not our problem. And, in fact, we probably don't transport anything across this border because of the sanctions. Only certain goods that are really, really needed by the Lithuanians or Poles. If they really, really need them, they order them, and we deliver them. If they don't order them, we don't ship them. And with the Kazakhs, Russians, Chinese, and other countries, they (Lithuania - ed.) will have to not just explain things to them, but deal with them. Because no one else does that," the Belarusian leader emphasized.

"We will discuss everything else in the near future during negotiations with the US delegation. I feel like they were involved," Alexander Lukashenko added.