Lithuania says it has no plans to keep border with Belarus closed

Lithuania has no intention of keeping its border with Belarus closed, presidential national security adviser Deividas Matulionis said in an interview with LRT radio.

Matulionis explained that the border was temporarily shut on October 29 in response to a mass launch of balloons carrying contraband cigarettes from Belarus, which posed a threat to civil aviation and forced Lithuania’s international airports to suspend operations. He emphasised that closing the border was the only feasible response at the time.

Looking ahead, Matulionis said Lithuanian and Belarusian officials are planning technical-level talks on the border situation. Lithuania intends to present its perspective during these discussions and will monitor Belarus’s response.

By Sabina Mammadli