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Belarus says Lithuania terminates cooperation on cross-border traffic

The Belarusian State Border Committee added that cooperation between the two countries was based on a document signed on November 4, 2019

MINSK, February 16. /TASS/. Lithuania has notified Belarus that it is unilaterally terminating cooperation with Minsk in ensuring the unhindered flow of cross-border traffic, the Belarusian State Border Committee said in a statement on Thursday.

"The Lithuanian side said in a notification that the Lithuanian Interior Ministry’s State Border Guard Service was unilaterally terminating cooperation with Belarusian customs and border control agencies in ensuring the unhindered flow of cross-border traffic and increasing the capacity of road crossing points. The notification did not give the reasons for the termination of cooperation," the statement reads.

The Belarusian State Border Committee added that cooperation between the two countries was 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.

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