Dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenko’s regime has announced import bans on a range of goods, including food and alcohol, clothing, household appliances, car parts and construction equipment.
This list includes certain goods originating in the Republic of Lithuania: milk and condensed milk, fruits and nuts, coffee, fruit juice, water, vinegar, tights, socks, golf and other knitted products, certain construction equipment, refrigerators and freezers, Belarus informs regime news agency Belta.
The move “is a response to Lithuania’s decision to stop the flow of goods, transport and people at two border checkpoints,” the Belarusian government said in a statement.
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) commented on the decision of the Belarusian authorities in an official statement on Thursday.
“The side of Belarus, reacting to the unfriendly actions of the Republic of Lithuania in 2024. to close two border checkpoints, decided to take previously announced coercive measures. in 2024 March 14 The decision of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus prohibits the import of certain goods from Lithuania, including food products, construction products and household appliances,” the report said.
“In addition, on a separate March 14 The Government’s decision also established a ban on the transportation of certain goods, imported for sale in Belarus, through the border checkpoints of Belarus and Lithuania, regardless of their country of origin. This list includes second-hand clothes and spare parts of vehicles, as well as tires, alcoholic beverages and other goods,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus states.
“After the adoption of the latter document, imported goods will be able to enter Belarus only through alternative routes, bypassing the territory of Lithuania.
This will negatively affect the work of many Lithuanian logistics operators and, due to the significantly reduced trade turnover, their income will be noticeably reduced”, – the officials of the Belarusian diplomatic institution are trying to count foreign money.
The commentary draws attention to the fact that these bans do not affect goods brought into the territory of Belarus for personal use.
“Regarding the possible claims of Lithuanian business representatives, they should be reported to the authorities of their country, which make decisions that are against national interests,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus tries to teach.
It also threatens that “the Latvian government’s steps to introduce an import embargo on certain Belarusian food products in 2024 will also not go unanswered.”
“The counterproductive and unpromising nature of applying any sanctions to Belarus is obvious. Such actions only strengthen the self-isolation of our Baltic neighbors and undermine their already weakening economic potential,” the Belarusian MFA commented.
The comment ends with a call for “Vilnius and Riga to bring more independence, emphasis and attention to the real interests of their people into their politics.”
According to the data of the Lithuanian State Data Agency, Lithuanian exports to Belarus last year reached 1.7 billion. euros.
Lithuania has closed Lavoriškii and Raigard border crossings since this month. The move aims to limit the migration of people due to national security risks and the movement of sanctioned goods to Russia.
The Medininkai and Šalčininkai checkpoints remained operational at the border. According to the representatives of the government, by concentrating resources in these places, it will be possible to further strengthen the inspection of goods and people.
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2024-04-13 17:00:34