August 16, Pozirk. Lithuania has approved several exceptions to the ban on entry of Belarus-registered cars that entered into force one month ago, the Lithuanian Customs Department reported.
The exceptions were apparently introduced at the request of Vilnius-based Belarusian opposition politicians.
“It’s not ideal, but it solves most issues for Belarusian companies, border area residents, logistics professionals and several other groups of people who constantly move across the [Belarusian-Lithuanian] border,” said Franak Viačorka, an aide to Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja.
Lithuania will allow cars with Belarusian license plates to enter provided the vehicles are not for sale and are owned by Belarusian nationals with valid visas or residence permits, new regulations say.
The owner must be driving the vehicle when crossing the border to prove that the car is for personal use.
Vilnius will also allow cars owned by European Union countries’ citizens residing in Belarus to enter.
The exceptions do not apply to passenger cars owned by companies or used for commercial purposes.
The Belarusian opposition took credit for reaching this temporary compromise with Lithuania.
Amendments prevent illegal imports of cars into Russia and sanctions evasion schemes when Russian nationals used to register cars in Belarus, Viačorka noted.
All Baltic states and Poland maintained humanitarian corridors for cars, and Belarusians can still enter Poland and Lithuania by car on ordinary visas, unlike Russians, he added.
Lithuania announced the ban on entry of all Belarus-registered passenger cars regardless of the nationality of their owner or driver on July 17, a day before it entered into force.
Vilnius cited the European Union Council regulation 2024/1865 of June 29, noting that the move was coordinated with Latvia and Estonia that used the same regulation to ban entry of vehicles with Belarusian license plates.
Those Belarusians, whose vehicles are already in Lithuania, have until January 18 to take them out of the country or register them in Lithuania.
More: Warsaw not to block entry of Belarus-registered cars – diplomat
