I.Šimonytė: Lithuania will discuss with the EU the reimbursement of the costs of the fence at the border



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Although I will have to fund the project now, I would not rule out that the discussion with the European Commission and the institutions of the European Union on how much the EU should contribute to the physical protection of the EU border may be heated and perhaps even effective in the future. , “subject,” said the head of government.

He emphasized that it was therefore necessary to ensure that the project was executed not only in the shortest possible time, but also in a transparent manner.

“In this case, it is better to have the project implemented in a transparent and clear manner, so that it does not become an obstacle to requesting financial compensation later,” said I. Šimonytė.

The State Border Guard Service proposes to build a four-meter-high mesh fence on the border with Belarus, which would be made of welded rod mesh and would end with Y-shaped rods on which would be mounted a cutting wire called Concertina.

To stop the influx of illegal immigrants to Lithuania, the government plans to build more than 500 km of such a fence on the border with Belarus. Next to it a pyramid of sharp wire “Consertina” would be installed.

The installation of such a physical barrier would cost more than 152,460 million in total. euros.

Ylva Johansson, the European commissioner who visited there, said on Monday that a physical barrier is necessary on the border with Belarus.

He said he could not yet answer whether the installation of the fence could be financed with funds from the European Union. According to the European Commissioner, the EU has never financed the construction of border fences. He did not rule out that the EU helps Lithuania acquire other equipment necessary for border protection.

This year, more than 4,000 people crossed the border from Belarus into Lithuania. illegal migrants. That number is more than a dozen times higher than it was in 2020.

Lithuania has declared an emergency situation due to the increase in illegal immigration. The country’s officials take the position that the increase in migratory flows is an organized action of the Minsk regime against Lithuania.



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