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“The president plans to convene the State Defense Council in June, as there are a wide range of issues related to Belarus. Migration would probably be one of them, but not the only one. There are also problems with airspace, there is the problem. Astrava. As you know, Astravas obtained a license to operate and we should discuss that. Therefore, this meeting will be convened this month, “said A. Skaisgirytė on Friday evening after the president’s meeting with Interior Minister Agne Bilotaitė and the head of the State Border Guard Service, Rustamas Liubajevs.
At a press conference held in the Presidency on Friday, A. Skaisgirytė and A. Bilotaitė told reporters that Belarus has been under hybrid pressure and war against Lithuania recently.
Noting the unprecedented increase in illegal migration flows from Belarus in recent days, A. Bilotaitė ensures that Lithuania is in control of the situation and ready to respond to challenges.
According to the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), around a hundred and a half illegal immigrants, mostly Iraqi citizens, tried to enter Lithuania from Belarus this year. That’s three times more than in all of 2020.
Relations between Lithuania and Belarus began to intensify after the Minsk decision, which sparked an international scandal
In recent weeks, Lithuanian-Belarusian relations have been aggravated by Aliaksandr Lukashenko’s decision to forcibly land an airliner flying to Vilnius. Next, Belarusian officials arrested opposition activist Raman Pratasevich and his friend Sofia Sapega. In response, EU countries closed their airspace to Belarusian planes and banned them from landing at EU airports. The EU relationship is expected to lead to decisions that provide for more sanctions against the Belarusian regime. Lithuania was one of the most active and audible states, calling on the EU and the international community to react strictly to the actions of the undemocratic regime.
A week ago, Lithuania sent two employees of the Belarusian embassy
A week ago, Lithuania decided to send two employees of the Belarusian Embassy in Lithuania. In a note that was later delivered to the Belarusian representative, the two employees were identified as undesirable for activities incompatible with diplomatic status. With this decision, Lithuania also sympathized with Latvia, whose diplomats and employees of the embassy in Minsk had been expelled by Belarus a little earlier.
“Two Belarusian intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover were asked to leave Lithuania. Thank you and all the best,” Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis wrote on his Twitter account at the time.
In response, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry sent a note to Lithuania regarding the expulsion of two diplomats from the Lithuanian mission.
Illegal immigrants crossing the border with Belarus denounced after Lukashenko’s threats
Regime leader Lukashenko said last week that Minsk, which had so far detained “drugs and migrants” at the border, would no longer do so after the crash landing of a Ryanair plane caused discontent among the international community. .
“Now you will eat them and catch them yourself,” he told the Belarusian parliament.
This week, Interior Minister A. Bilotaitė stated that, compared to 2020, the flow of illegal immigrants has doubled for some time.
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