Poland officially notifies Belarus of border checkpoint reopening

Poland has formally informed Belarus of its plans to reopen two border checkpoints between the two countries.

Belarusian Customs authorities reported the announcement on their Telegram channel, stating: “On November 17, from 02:00 Belarus time, the Polish border checkpoints ‘Kuznica Bialostocka’ and ‘Bobrowniki’ will be opened.”

The statement clarified that “Kuznica Bialostocka” will serve only passenger traffic, excluding buses, while “Bobrowniki” will accommodate passenger cars, buses, and trucks from European Union member states, Switzerland, and countries participating in the European Economic Area agreement.

Belarusian authorities emphasised that they are fully prepared to resume operations at the corresponding Belarusian checkpoints, “Bruzgi” and “Berestovitsa.” All technical equipment at the sites is operational, infrastructure has been upgraded, and customs shifts are fully staffed.

Earlier, on October 30, Warsaw had suggested that the reopening might be delayed until mid-November as a gesture of solidarity with NATO ally Lithuania, which had closed its land border with Belarus due to security concerns caused by airspace disruptions from smuggling balloons. Lithuania said it would maintain the closure until the end of November.

Poland’s relations with Belarus, already tense, have further deteriorated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

By Tamilla Hasanova