At the Sumskas border post, nestled on a small road on Lithuania’s border with Belarus, dozens of cars were peacefully waiting on Saturday to cross to the other side.
But what for years has been a mere formality, in order to go shopping for less or visit relatives, is likely to prove more difficult next week, with the decision of this small Baltic country to close two of its six crossing points, including that of Sumskas.
The move by Lithuanian authorities is a response to heightened tensions between the two neighbours, with Vilnius warning against provocations by Minsk and fighters from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner now based, in part, in Belarus after their short-lived rebellion in Russia .
For occasional travellers, this measure will result in longer queues at the four remaining checkpoints.
Some Lithuanians say they will give up traveling to Belarus.
This is the case of Jadvyga, a 73-year-old pensioner, who crosses the border by bicycle several times a year to stock up on cheaper medicines.
“This medicine costs one and a half euros there, compared to ten to twelve here,” she told AFP. “But from now on, I will not go any more”.
According to official figures, around 230,000 Lithuanians traveled to Belarus in the first half of 2023, despite the political issues between the two countries.
This week, the Vilnius government erected banners reading “Do not risk your safety – Do not go to Belarus. You may not be able to return” at all border crossings.
“By granting asylum to Wagner’s mercenaries, Belarus has become a state that harbors a terrorist organization,” Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister Mantas Adomenas told reporters.
Vilnius believes that Minsk could try to recruit Lithuanians traveling on Belarusian territory for espionage purposes, to pressure them or to blackmail them by monitoring the content of their phones.
“Any Lithuanian citizen traveling to Belarus must properly assess the risks, including to their health and life,” said Rustamas Liubajevas, the head of the border guard service.
But for those who used to cross the border, these measures only cause anger and disappointment.
Sergei, a construction worker who only agrees to reveal his first name, used to go shopping in Belarus once a month and claims to have never had to deal with this kind of maneuver
“What can happen there? It’s absurd, it’s funny,” he told AFP.
“It would be better to try to maintain friendly relations with our neighbors, but for some reason they seek confrontation. What’s the point?” he adds.
08/12/2023 08:21:57 PM – Sumskas (Lituanie) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
