Austria has vowed to help Vilnius in negotiations with the European Union on financial assistance for the construction of a fence on the Lithuanian–Belarusian border, visiting Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said on Tuesday.
"I cannot understand why the EC fails to understand the importance of not only taking care of illegal migrants but also the great importance of providing financial assistance for the construction of a physical barrier," he told reporters.
The importance of EU financial assistance was also stressed by Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said earlier the existing EU rules do not allow funding fences. The EU now funds certain protection measures, for example, surveillance systems.
Earlier this week, the Lithuanian government decided to allocate up to 152 million euros for a 508-kilometre fence on the border with Belarus.
Over 4,100 irregular migrants have crossed into Lithuania from Belarus so far this year, but the flow has decreased considerably after border guards were allowed to push them back to the neighbouring country.
Lithuania has a state-level extreme situation declared over the unprecedented migration influx which it says is being orchestrated by the Belarusian regime.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
