Belarus has labeled Lithuania’s fluctuating border checkpoint policies as “thoughtless and unjustified,” according to an October 25 statement from the State Customs Committee. The committee condemned Lithuania for alternating between closing and reopening checkpoints, citing a lack of prior notification.
“The Lithuanians opened the Myadininkai (Kamenny Log) and Shalchininkai (Benyakoni) road checkpoints 12 hours later. Unjustified thoughtless decisions of the Lithuanian authorities, without any notifications or warnings,” the committee stated on its Telegram channel.
The ministry emphasized that Lithuania’s actions represent an “unprecedented” approach that cannot be justified under any circumstances. Earlier, on October 22, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginene suggested the possibility of fully closing the Belarus-Lithuania border, citing concerns over contraband weather balloons detected in the country’s airspace. Lithuanian President’s National Security Adviser Deivydas Matulenis had previously warned of potential border closures.
On October 25, Lithuania reopened the checkpoints 12 hours after their initial closure, according to reports from the Belarusian Customs Committee, which noted that traffic had been halted since the evening of October 24.
