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Crisis in Belarus

Lithuania to tighten security on Belarusian border — Interior Minister

According to Lithuania's Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, these measures were caused by the unpredictability of Belarusian authorities

VILNIUS, May 27. /TASS/. Lithuania will do its utmost to further strengthen its border with neighboring Belarus, Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite told the media on Thursday.

"It is crucial to find and disburse greater resources to fund the work [on border infrastructure] to equip the EU's border with Belarus with proper monitoring equipment," she said.

Lithuania accounts for 1,070 kilometers of the Schengen area's perimeter border, which is identical to the EU's foreign border. Lithuania's border with Belarus (679 kilometers) is longer than with any other neighboring country. Advanced technical monitoring systems are installed on 100% of Lithuania's maritime and overland border with Russia's westernmost Kaliningrad Region. Less than 40% percent of the border with Belarus is equipped in this fashion.

"Lithuania's state border service has been instructed to urgently draft a plan for action and procedures for the prompt introduction of advanced monitoring systems," Bilotaite said.

Lithuania's Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte stressed the urgency of such measures on Wednesday. She argued the unpredictability of Belarusian authorities was the reason.

"You never know what to expect from a regime like this," Simonyte claimed.

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Belarus Lithuania

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