{"id":173558,"date":"2026-01-29T22:49:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T19:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173558\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"vilnius-signals-willingness-to-engage-with-minsk-despite-officials-claims-to-contrary","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173558\/","title":{"rendered":"Vilnius signals willingness to engage with Minsk despite officials\u2019 claims to contrary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n The Lithuanian foreign ministry\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Delfi)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 29, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Vilnius and Minsk are discussing the agenda and a neutral venue for a meeting of deputy foreign ministers, LRT<\/em> reported citing BNS<\/em> and \u017dini\u0173 radijas<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remigijus Motuzas, chairman of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, reportedly said that such a meeting could be held on the sidelines of an international event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius would like to discuss ways to prevent hybrid threats and return Lithuanian trucks stuck in Belarus, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lithuanian foreign office and cabinet have not officially reported on preparations for such a meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier today, Dzianis Ku\u010dynski, an aide to Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja, said that he was unaware of Vilnius\u2019s plans to engage with Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overflights by weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes is a major contentious issue between the two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 28, Lithuania handed a note of protest to the Belarusian charg\u00e9 d\u2019affaires over an overnight mass incursion. Lithuanian authorities said they detected about 40 weather balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovi\u010d denied that his agency had any contacts with authorities in Belarus. \u201cWe have not received any information from them although we have repeatedly indicated that balloons were launched from certain locations and asked to take measures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk and Vilnius have also clashed over assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 9, Belarus was still holding 410 Lithuanian trucks, 473 semi-trailers and 30 other vehicles, according to LINAVA, the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuania closed the Medininkai\u2013Kamienny \u0141oh and \u0160al\u010dininkai\u2013Bieniakoni border checkpoints with Belarus from October 29 to November 20 following incursions by air balloons. Since then, the trucks have remained stranded on Belarusian territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus barred the vehicles from leaving the country and ordered them to relocate to guarded parking sites. Lithuania, in turn, accused Belarus of escalating by effectively seizing the vehicles and preventing their return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius refused Minsk\u2019s appeals for direct diplomatic talks, having significantly downgraded official contacts after what it described as Belarus\u2019 rigged 2020 presidential election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk has pushed for consultations between the two countries\u2019 foreign ministries, while Lithuania initially viewed such talks as an attempt to break the international isolation of Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime and potentially pave the way for easing sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at a government conference on December 9, the Belarusian leader outlined what Minsk would like to discuss in potential talks with Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGive us back the 17 or 20 trucks that you stole \u2014 the fire engines we shipped to Zimbabwe. Normalize operations at our health resort, where we treated children affected by Chernobyl. They actually took the resort away from children. And give us back the money we spent on building a port [in Lithuania],\u201d he was quoted as saying by state media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka was likely referring to the Belorus health resort in Druskininkai and Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij\u2019s 30 percent stake in Biri\u0173 Krovini\u0173 Terminalas (BKT), a dry cargo terminal in Klaip\u0117da.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuania suspended the transshipment of Belarusian fertilizers through the port of Klaip\u0117da on February 1, 2022, citing human rights abuses by Minsk. Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij has been under EU sanctions since 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August 2022, the Belarusian leader accused Lithuania of expropriating Bie\u0142aru\u015bkalij\u2019s assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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