July 19, Pozirk. Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has asked Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa to consider adopting “extensive exceptions” to the ban on entry of Belarus-registered cars that entered into force this week.
The politician held these talks on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in the United Kingdom on July 18, her aide Franak Viačorka has told Pozirk.
Cichanoŭskaja called for easing or lifting restrictions, arguing that the Baltic countries’ ban on entry of cars with Belarusian license plates affects ordinary Belarusians rather than Alaksandar Łukašenka and his officials.
“We understand that this restriction is imposed in line with EU instructions for security reasons and to ensure closing loopholes in sanctions, yet it does not solve either of these problems,” Cichanoŭskaja stressed.
The Belarusian politician raised the same issue at her meetings with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and the European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.
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.
