Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Tuesday that relations with Belarus are unlikely to improve in the near future, accusing Minsk of favouring displays of force over dialogue.
“For now, I see no warming in these relations, and there are probably no grounds for it,” Ruginienė told BNS.
The prime minister said she discussed Lithuania-Belarus relations with Maria Kalesnikava, a Belarusian opposition figure currently visiting Vilnius.
“As long as Belarus shows aggression, speaks only the language of force, and believes that only pressure can influence us, we really see no possibility of at least some thaw in these relations,” she said. “We are not in favour of communicating in the language of force, and we say that clearly.”
Remigijus Motuzas, chairman of the Lithuanian parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, said no specific meeting between Lithuanian and Belarusian deputy ministers is being arranged, though discussions are ongoing in Vilnius on the substance of possible talks and on a neutral venue. Any such meeting would likely take place outside both countries, possibly on the sidelines of a multilateral event.
Ruginienė said communication must be “on an equal footing” and criticised Belarus for testing Lithuania’s systems. “Today the Belarusian side shows no interest in discussing practical, substantive issues. Instead, they believe that demonstrating pressure, testing our systems, and the use of balloons and trucks is an appropriate way to communicate with us. We do not see it that way,” she said.
Minsk has sought a meeting with Lithuania’s foreign minister or deputy minister since last year, after repeated smuggling balloon incidents forced temporary suspensions at Vilnius Airport and led Lithuania to briefly close its border.
Although border checkpoints have reopened, the government of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has continued to block Lithuanian companies’ trucks from leaving the country.
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