Lithuania’s National Security Commission has proposed closing down two more checkpoints on the Belarusian border and taking steps to reduce travel between the two neighbouring countries, lrt.lt reports.
The proposal from the commission – a government body that includes the prime minister, several cabinet members, representatives from the president’s office and intelligence services – concerns the border checkpoints in Lavoriškės (Katlouka on the Belarusian side) and Raigardas (Prywalka on the Belarusian sida), two of the four that remain open after Lithuania closed two checkpoints last August.
The commission is also proposing to tighten passenger bus services between Lithuania and Belarus by gradually reducing the number of permits issued private carriers.
Another proposal is to restrict the pick-up and drop-off of passengers at the Kena railway border checkpoint, and to stop pedestrians and cyclists from crossing the Belarusian-Lithuanian border.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC), told a press conference at the government office that the checkpoints would be closed on March 1.
“The flow of Belarusian citizens has recently increased by around 50 percent 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,” he said.
The government will make the final decision on closing down the checkpoints.
According to the statement, the proposed solutions would reduce the number of vehicles and passengers transiting through Lithuania and reduce the chances of Belarusian and Russian intelligence and security services acting against Lithuania.
The move is also aimed at more effectively blocking sanctioned goods from entering Belarus and Russia as well as preventing smuggling.
According to the NKVC, the proposed solutions would also improve traffic safety as currently the infrastructure of the road leading to the Lavoriškės checkpoint is not adapted and does not have a waiting area for vehicles.