The first Lithuanian cargo trucks detained in Belarus have returned to Lithuania early Tuesday after Alexander Lukashenko authorised their departure, a border guard official said.
According to Giedrius Mišutis of the State Border Guard Service, eight trucks crossed into Lithuania at around 05:00 via the Medininkai and Šalčininkai border checkpoints.
“Five trucks with Lithuanian license plates entered through the Medininkai checkpoint and three through Šalčininkai,” Mišutis told BNS.
He said the flow of vehicles is limited by border capacity and customs procedures, with about four to five trucks able to cross per hour.
“Released cargo vehicles began moving through both checkpoints at around 05:00,” he said.
Preliminary information indicates the vehicles were registered in Lithuania.
Belarus’ state news agency Belta reported Monday that Lukashenko had decided to allow trucks with Lithuanian license plates to leave the country. According to Belta, vehicles can depart once carriers pay storage fees, which are said to be several times lower than the previously imposed 120 euros per day.
The Belarusian State Customs Committee, cited by Belta, said more than 1,900 trucks and trailers could be allowed to leave Belarus for Lithuania “in accordance with the law”.
However, Ignas Algirdas Dobrovolskas, an adviser to the Lithuanian prime minister, urged caution, saying it was too early to welcome the decision without confirmation that vehicles were actually crossing the border.
Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday it had not received official information through diplomatic channels about permission for the detained vehicles to leave Belarus.
Meanwhile, the head of the Lithuanian road carriers association Linava said he had received confirmation that trucks would be released, but warned that high fees could prevent about half of carriers from recovering their vehicles.
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