{"id":187870,"date":"2026-05-17T19:29:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T16:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/187870\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T19:29:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T16:29:22","slug":"lithuanian-minister-denies-plans-to-cut-bus-passenger-service-with-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/187870\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian minister denies plans to cut bus passenger service with Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n Medininkai border checkpoint at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (vsat.lrv.lt)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

May 17, <\/strong>Pozirk.<\/strong> <\/em>Lithuania sees no need to halt passenger bus service with Belarus, lnk.lt<\/em> reports, citing Juras Taminskas, Lithuanian transport minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have limited the number of routes to Belarus to 29. This is the optimal figure chosen to date to ensure safety,\u201d the official noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He did not rule out \u201cextreme measures\u201d affecting regular bus services if the situation in the country becomes unmanageable in terms of the safety of Lithuanian nationals visiting Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latvia is currently preparing a bill to suspend bus services with Belarus, justifying the move by the need to protect its citizens from potential recruitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rail passenger traffic between Belarus and Lithuania, Poland and Latvia has been suspended since 2020 when it was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two years ago, cars with Belarusian license plates were banned from entering the European Union through the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian checkpoints following the adoption of new restrictions by the EU Council designed to punish Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka regime for its involvement in Russia\u2019s war of aggression against Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air links between Belarus and the EU were severed five years ago over the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk after Belarusian security officers cited a false bomb threat to divert the passenger aircraft and arrest prominent journalist Raman Pratasievi\u010d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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