November 15, Pozirk. Minsk has welcomed Warsaw’s decision to reopen Kuźnica Białostocka-Bruzhi and Bobrowniki-Bierastavica for traffic on November 17, said the Belarusian foreign ministry.
“This step can reinvigorate cross-border trade and make life easier for people. We regard it as a constructive move oriented at the interests of Polish citizens. Unfortunately, Lithuania has not taken similar action,” the statement says.
It added that Warsaw’s decision is just the beginning of a journey to the restoration of contacts.
The foreign office issued the statement after today’s meeting of diplomats, security and border officials chaired by Prime Minister Alaksandar Turčyn.
It followed Poland’s official announcement of the reopening of the checkpoints.
Meanwhile, Lithuania closed its last two operating border checkpoints on October 28 in an effort to pressure Minsk to curb cigarette smugglers who have been sending shipments across the border using helium weather balloons. The move prompted Warsaw to delay the reopening of two Polish–Belarusian border crossings originally scheduled for November 1.
On October 29, the Lithuanian government decided to keep the shared border with Belarus closed until November 30 following repeated airspace violations, warning that the closure may be extended.
The checkpoints in Medininkai and Šalčininkai had been the only ones handling all cross-border traffic between Lithuania and Belarus after Vilnius closed the Šumskas and Tverečius crossings in 2023 and Lavoriškės and Raigardas in 2024, citing national security concerns and smuggling.
Belarus has described the Lithuanian decision as “a politicized and ill-considered move” that has caused significant losses for transport companies.
Earlier this week, the Belarusian leader instructed Foreign Minister Maksim Ryžankoŭ to negotiate the reopening of the border with Vilnius.
