Lithuania ends unused cross-border travel pact with Belarus

On June 30, Lithuania's parliament voted unanimously to revoke a long-dormant agreement with Belarus on simplified cross-border travel, saying the pact had never entered into force and was no longer relevant.

The agreement, signed in 2010, was designed to ease travel for residents living in border regions, allowing them to cross the frontier using special local permits and remain in the neighbouring country for up to 90 days within six months, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

According to accompanying parliamentary documents, Lithuania never received confirmation from Belarus that it had completed the necessary procedures to implement the agreement.

"The agreement on local border traffic was signed in 2010, but Lithuania never received confirmation from the Belarusian side that the procedures required under the agreement had been completed. The document has therefore lost its relevance," the documents said.

Many residents of the border areas have relatives living across the frontier or family members buried there, making the agreement intended to facilitate local travel.

Lithuania ratified the agreement in 2011 while retaining the right to withdraw from it unilaterally.

By Aghakazim Guliyev