Belarus refuses to open evacuation corridor for Lithuanian, EU trucks - PM aide

VILNIUS - Belarus has rejected Lithuania's request to let its trucks return through the temporarily closed Medininkai-Kamenny Log and Salcininkai-Benyakoni border checkpoints, an advisor to Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Wednesday.

"We received a reply today from the head of Belarus' border service to Lithuania's letter. There was no consent to open an evacuation corridor for Lithuanian and EU haulers; our companies remain hostages," Ignas Algirdas Dobrovolskas said in a comment to the media.

"Lithuania has repeatedly made clear that our borders are open to Lithuanian and EU haulers. The obstacles preventing their return and fueling escalation are created solely by Belarus, which has failed to deal with smugglers' balloons that threaten our civil aviation," he added.

Dobrovolskas said Belarus' letter will be examined, but stressed that Minsk must first stop its hybrid attack against Lithuania's aviation and the safety of its citizens.

On Monday, Rustamas Liubajevas, commander of the State Border Guard Service, asked Belarus' chief border representative for Lithuania to allow Lithuanian trucks to return to the country through the temporarily closed checkpoints.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Wednesday that the border could be reopened once Belarus shows a willingness to cooperate, while Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said this could happen when Belarus, which fails to control the smugglers' balloons being launched toward Lithuania, "to the point of hot phases."

The government has closed both crossings with Belarus for a month, until November 30, while applying certain exceptions at the Medininkai checkpoint.