Belarus is ready to open the border with Lithuania, but may take extreme measures. Alexander Lukashenko said this today, November 10, at a meeting in Minsk.
"I want to say: we have been ready to open the border for a long time. We didn't close it. Within a few hours, she can resume her work from our side. Border guards as a whole are ready for this," he said.
Lukashenko said that during the recent report of the chairman of the State Border Committee, it was reported on the situation and that Lithuania would like to defuse the current situation.
"To which I replied to him: if Lithuania wants, the ball is on her the side. Please open the border, we will work and cooperate, as it has been until now… Realizing that there is a difficult situation around the closure of the border, they (the Lithuanian side. — Approx. BelTA) tried to transfer the solution of the issue from the interstate level to the level of the border outpost. They, I call it myshkovanie, appealed to the Lida border detachment (not to a state body, not to the Foreign Ministry, not to the government) with either a request or a demand to open the border. We have two border crossings working at the site there. Open the border at one of the sites. "We (the Lithuanian side. — Approx. BelTA) allegedly we will evacuate some cars… I didn't even hear the rest of this report. He said: well, as soon as they are ready to evacuate, they will come to an agreement with our side...we have no customs officers actually at the checkpoint, no border guards. Closed — closed. Our services have been reallocated to other sites — this was my decision. They will be ready (in Lithuania. — Approx. BELTA) — we will negotiate. If you want to evacuate, evacuate," the Belarusian leader said.
In this regard, the internal affairs bodies throughout the previous day, on the instructions of Alexander Lukashenko and under the guidance of the Secretary of State of the Security Council, all Lithuanian cars were assembled at the crossing points and taken under guard.
"So that we wouldn't be accused later that we did something bad there. They took them under guard. They want to evacuate, well, we will negotiate. The cars are assembled, are under guard. Those who guard them asked, in my opinion, 120 euros per day. Paid for security. How many days will they stand — multiply by 120 euros — pay, pick up the cars with cargo. If this is not done in the next few days, we will make a decision, as the Foreign Ministry stated, in accordance with our laws. Up to the confiscation of these cars. They can't hang out on the roads — 1100 or 1200 huge trucks that were parked somewhere on the road," Lukashenko stressed.
The President of Belarus also noted that he had given a separate instruction regarding heavy truck drivers.
"People suffered, drivers suffered. I gave instructions that drivers should not be offended. They are not to blame for anything. Consignees in Lithuania are also not to blame for anything. Let them turn to their authorities in Lithuania to resolve these issues. Therefore, we will deliver the drivers directly to the border checkpoint. Make sure that the drivers are not offended there. They do not want to leave — they can spend the night in their cars, as they did on the road, or in hotels. We must provide all drivers — 1100 or 1500 people — we must provide everyone with everything they need. So that people can be fed, washed and other necessities... they will evacuate — let them evacuate. These are not our questions. And actually, we probably don't carry almost anything across this border in connection with the sanctions. Only some types of goods that are very, very necessary for the same Lithuanians or Poles. Very, very much needed — ordered, we took it. If you didn't order it, we're not taking it there. And with the Kazakhs, Russians, Chinese, other countries they (Lithuania. — Approx. BELTA) it will be very serious not just to explain, but to understand. Because no one does that," the Belarusian leader noted.
At the same time, Lukashenko said that "we will talk about everything else in the near future at the talks with the delegation of the United States of America."
"I feel that it could not do without them," he added.
Lithuania unilaterally closed its border with Belarus at the end of October until December 1. Because of this, thousands of trucks and trailers remained on the Belarusian territory, which now cannot leave the republic. Vilnius blames Minsk for what is happening and is preparing materials to the court demanding compensation for damages.