June 25, Pozirk. Belarus is willing to discuss border security with Poland “on equal and mutually respectful terms,” Foreign Minister Siarhiej Alejnik told reporters in Minsk on Monday following talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
“Dialogue is the only way towards de-escalation,” the state-run media outlets reported, quoting him as saying.
“We are ready to discuss these topics if Poland is ready for it, at least regarding cross-border cooperation, phased out on the initiative of the Polish side and other European partners.”
Border closure will affect not only Poles and the Polish economy but also other European Union nationals and entire Eurasia, Alejnik added, referring to last week’s statement by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who said all crossings with Belarus may be closed over a surge in illegal migration.
Warsaw’s threats to seal the border with Belarus are contradictory as it recently suggested opening more checkpoints, the diplomat stressed.
“We must clearly understand that migration flows do not depend in any way on these kinds of decisions,” Alejnik said, noting that Minsk does not intend to harm businesses, humanitarian cooperation, cross-border and human contacts.
Since the start of 2024, the EU has thwarted at least 22,450 illegal border crossings on its shared border with Belarus, with 19,707 attempts via Poland alone.
Belarus’ western neighbors call the migration crisis, which began in the spring of 2021, a “hybrid attack” orchestrated by Minsk and Moscow.
Currently, all passenger and cargo traffic between Belarus and Poland is handled only by checkpoints in Terespol and Kukuryki, respectively.
