MINSK, February 16. /TASS/. Lithuania consistently seeks to raise tensions on the border with Belarus, Spokesman for the Belarusian State Border Committee Anton Bychkovsky told TASS on Thursday.
"It is about consistent steps aimed at raising tensions and worsening the situation on the border," he pointed out, commenting on Lithuania’s decision to unilaterally terminate cooperation in ensuring the unhindered flow of cross-border traffic.
Bychkovsky also noted that in January, the Lithuanian government had decided to denounce the 2006 agreement on the principles of border cooperation with Belarus.
According to Bychkovsky, Lithuania has taken another unconstructive and openly unfriendly step "aimed at withdrawing from obligations to Belarus concerning the unhindered and smooth operation of crossing points." "It may negatively affect the regular cross-border movement of vehicles and people," the official emphasized.
The Belarusian State Border Committee said earlier on Thursday that it had been notified of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service’s unilateral decision to terminate cooperation in ensuring the unhindered flow of cross-border traffic. However, Lithuania failed to provide the reasons for the move to terminate cooperation, which had been based on a document signed on November 4, 2019.
In mid-January, the Lithuanian government decided to denounce the 2006 agreement on the principles of border cooperation with Belarus. The move was initiated by the Lithuanian Interior Ministry, which said that the implementation of the agreement was currently impossible and would hardly be possible in the near future. In particular, the document provided for cooperation in the field of infrastructure, the cross-border movement of vehicles and passengers, information exchanges and the provision of assistance on the border in case of natural and man-made disasters.