Vilnius responded to Lithuanian carriers: no compensation for trucks in Belarus

Lithuania has not yet considered the issue of compensation to carriers for trucks stuck in Belarus. This was stated by the head of the Lithuanian Finance Ministry, Christupas Vaitekunas.

"We have not yet considered the issue of compensation ... nevertheless, it is probably necessary to assess, while doing this business, a risky business, that risks can sometimes materialize and return with certain losses, and profits do not always turn out," he said.

According to him, Lithuanian transport companies can also carry out transportation to Western Europe. Such routes, he believes, serve 80-90% of the country's companies in this sector.

"Those who choose a riskier direction on The East... is their business strategy, but it inevitably probably leads to big risks. Of course, we support and protect our business, and the government will look for countermeasures, apply them and help return these so—called trucks," Vaitekunas stressed.

Thousands of Lithuanian trucks were stuck on Belarusian territory after Vilnius unilaterally closed the border with Belarus for several weeks. Minsk calls on the Lithuanian side to resolve the issue at the level of the Foreign Ministries of the two countries, but Lithuania refuses this proposal. Earlier, the head of the Lithuanian government, Inga Ruginene, said that it was "logical for carriers to turn to Belarus for compensation for damage."