It is not for the Polish and Lithuanian authorities to decide when the checkpoints on the Belarusian border will be reopened. This was announced today, October 31, by the press secretary of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Ruslan Varankov.
It is not for the Prime Minister of Poland and, moreover, Lithuania to decide when the checkpoints across the state border "Bobrovniki" and "Kuznitsa" will resume their work. Nevertheless, we take note of their statements and consider it necessary to clearly state our principled position. The border is a complex engineering, technical and organizational system. Any changes in the mode of its operation require full-fledged bilateral training. Belarus will agree to the opening of its side of the border if and only if it is fully ready for this in terms of infrastructure, personnel and, most importantly, in the field of security," he said.
According to him, "attention is drawn to the lack of consistency in the actions of our western neighbors: the announced dates are constantly postponed, and the fundamental decision itself is being revised."
"In general, the resumption of the functioning of checkpoints cannot and will not be regulated by unilateral decisions. We will adhere to the same approach in cooperation with the Lithuanian side, which imposed restrictions on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border the day before. It is also impossible to restore work without establishing a professional dialogue between the competent services. We expect a responsible approach from the Polish side: the agreements reached should be stable and reliable," Varankov said.
He also recalled that citizens and businesses cannot become hostages of situations when decisions to close the border are taken outside the legal framework and without prior notice. As Varankov noted, we are talking not only about Belarusians, Poles or Lithuanians, but also about citizens of other member states of the European Union, for which the Belarusian-Polish and Belarusian-Lithuanian borders are the eastern border.
"The statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Mr. Radoslaw Sikorski, fits here more than ever: it takes two to tango. The Belarusian side has been fulfilling its party for a long time and clearly. Now we are waiting for the neighbors to finally learn their own," the representative of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry summed up.
Lithuania closed the remaining two border crossings with Belarus at the end of October until December 1. At the same time, Vilnius asked Warsaw to postpone the opening of the previously closed two crossings in Bobrovniki and Kuznitsa announced by the Polish authorities. At the same time, as Alexander Lukashenko noted on October 31, the Polish authorities broke their promises.
"We had contacts with the Poles. They ask for these Pochobuts there (ethnic Pole and journalist Andrzej Pochobut convicted in Belarus — EADaily), they recognize spies. They are detained. "Give it back." We tell them: "Well, there are 2-3 of our people there. Return it. We will make an exchange." The same family and so on. Intelligence was, is and will be. I admit it, I respect it. Okay, we'll exchange. If you want to do it, we are ready to do it. "Oh, thank you and so on, we are ready to talk to you, we are opening checkpoints, something else… Last night the KGB reported to me: "No, they retreated from this position in solidarity with Lithuania for these balloons." I say, say hello to them. Retreated — well, we will retreat. We are pausing. When you are ready, come and we will talk to you," the Belarusian leader said.