The Lithuanian National Road Transport Association LINAVA strongly criticizes the decision to close land border crossings with Belarus, citing the incident with smuggled balloons that disrupted the operation of Vilnius Airport.
“State institutions have the right and duty to ensure airspace security, but the decision taken in this case raises serious doubts about proportionality. An air incident should not be the reason for the paralysis of road transport,” says Narūnas Raulinaitis, Secretary General of LINAVAS.
According to him, such actions directly affect the transport sector, whose workers are already facing difficulties tious conditions of waiting at the border.
“Truck drivers spend up to 22 hours at the border, and this decision only complicates the situation. This practice creates chaotic queues, disrupts supply chains and harms the entire transport sector of the country,” says N. Raulinaitis.
The association recalls that Poland, faced with similar security incidents, quickly abandoned the decision to close the border, realizing that such measures harm the economy more than they help solve security problems.
“Air security issues should be resolved in the airspace, not on border roads. Let's not repeat the mistakes of our neighbors,” emphasizes N. Raulinaitis.
LINAVA plans to appeal to the Presidency, the Government and the border services to immediately reconsider the decision to close the border with Belarus and ensure that such actions in the future are based on a real threat, and not on excessive caution.
According to the association, it is necessary to ensure that security measures are not directed against those who work honestly and support the pulse of the country's economy - Lithuanian carriers.