Two more checkpoints on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border can be closed following the proposal of Lithuania’s National Security Commission, which aims to mitigate travel between the two neighbouring countries.
According to the proposal from the commission, which is a body including the prime minister, several cabinet members, representatives from the president’s office and intelligence services, Laboriskes and Raigardas checkpoints, which were the only ones that remained open after Lithuania closed two checkpoints last year, should be closed.
The governing body also proposes to restrict the picking up and dropping off of passengers at the Kena railway border checkpoints and also prohibit pedestrians and cyclists from crossing the border between the two countries, as LRT reports.
The flow of Belarusian citizens has recently increased by around 50 per cent via all road border checkpoints along the border with Belarus. The increase in the flow of transport, goods and people requires optimisation of the process of managing these flows and even more detailed screening of persons, vehicles and goods.
The government will make the final decision on closing down the checkpoints and also reducing the number of vehicles and passengers transiting through Lithuania. In addition, the EU country is working to mitigate the chances of Belarusian and Russian intelligence acting against Lithuania. The move also aims to block sanctioned goods from entering Belarus and Russia, as the authorities are set on preventing smuggling at their external borders.
The NKVC suggests that the proposed solutions would enhance traffic safety by addressing the inadequate infrastructure of the road leading to the Lavoriškės checkpoint, which currently lacks a designated waiting area for vehicles.
In 2023, 3.9 million border crossings were recorded at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border through road checkpoints, which is 25.5 per cent more than in the previous year. Two-thirds of the total border crossings were Belarusian citizens.
On the other hand, Lithuanian citizens crossed the border 684,000 times, some 13.4 per cent less than in 2022, while 62,000 people crossed the border at least once. Those that crossed the border at least one time were down by 17.5 per cent compared to 2022 levels.
The majority of Lithuanian citizens entered the border through the Šalčininkai and Lavoriškės road border checkpoints. In August, Lithuania shut down two out of its six border checkpoints with Belarus, namely Šumskas and Tverečius. Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė announced then that the ministry would suggest closing two additional checkpoints.
