After Lithuanian logistics representatives met with Belarusian officials amid continuing efforts to resolve the issue of stranded trucks, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė says the meeting was a private matter and not directed by the government.
“It is their personal decision. As a government, we have these issues on our agenda and are working on them. Whether they go or not is their choice. If I were in their place, I would not go, because there are political and diplomatic channels for this,” Ruginienė told reporters.
The Belarusian state news agency Belta reported that on Tuesday, Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin met with representatives of Lithuanian and Polish carriers on the orders of President Alexander Lukashenko, following a request from the carriers to resolve issues with trucks stranded in Belarus.
According to Belta, Turchin said Minsk has no intention of confiscating vehicles and aims to reach a “constructive agreement” to resolve the situation.
The Lithuanian government continues to refuse direct political contacts with the Belarusian government despite the latter’s invitations to hold minister-level talks.
The Foreign Ministry called the meeting of Lithuanian carriers with Turchin part of a “hybrid campaign” designed to increase pressure on Lithuania,.
Representatives of the National Lithuanian Carriers Association (Linava) and the International Transport and Logistics Alliance (TTLA) said they did not attend the meeting. Linava chairman Erlandas Mikėnas said an initiative group of Lithuanian carriers went to Belarus on their own.
Between hundreds and several thousand Lithuanian trucks have remained stranded in Belarus since last autumn. In October, Lithuania closed its border in response to a spike of smuggler balloon traffic, claiming the Belarus government was orchestrating it. In turn, Belarus banned Lithuanian vehicles from driving on the country’s roads and directed Lithuanian trucks that were there at the time into parking lots.
Despite the border reopening, Belarus has not released Lithuanian trucks. The vehicles have been held in special parking areas where a daily fee of €120 per truck or trailer is charged. Belarus had threatened to confiscate the vehicles after four months.
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