This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of Belarus,

Syarhei Dubina

, on February 22 at the 85th session of the Committee on Internal Transport of the European Economic Commission (EAC) of the UN in Geneva.

"Measures must be taken to ensure uninterrupted delivery to all parties to the European Agreement concerning the work of vehicle crews, microcircuits for digital tachograph cards," the press service of the Ministry of Transport quoted Dubina as saying.

In addition, Dubina "regretfully" said that "Poland has made a decision to close a number of highway checkpoints on the common border," and "Lithuania is stopping rail connections" at individual Belarusian-Lithuanian crossings.

"Multi-kilometer queues of vehicles at the border with the European Union not only adversely affect the ecological environment, but also prevent the timely delivery of essential goods," said the Belarusian official.

Dubina called on European colleagues "to engage in dialogue, make joint efforts to develop sustainable transport and find compromise solutions in the interests of all without excluding parties."

In connection with the sanctions introduced in 2022, the European Union has stopped the supply of microelectronics products to Belarus.

Due to the lack of chips, Belarusian drivers have been allowed to use paper printouts of the digital tachograph for international transportation since October last year.

On February 9, the Polish authorities announced the indefinite closure of the Bobrovniki border crossing point.

Warsaw took such a step after the journalist and activist of the Union of Poles Andrzej Pachobut was sentenced to 8 years in prison in Belarus.

In response to the restrictions imposed by the Polish side, on February 17, the government of Belarus restricted the entry to the territory of Belarus for Polish trucks and tractors.

On February 21, Poland restricted the movement of Belarusian trucks at the Kukuriki-Kazlovichi border crossing.

This was done "in connection with the restrictions introduced by the Belarusian authorities for Polish carriers regarding the possibility of crossing the border at the Belarusian-Lithuanian and Belarusian-Latvian border crossings."

The restriction does not apply to passenger transport at the Terespol border crossing (on the Belarusian side - Brest), the agency added.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Poland notes that the movement of cargo vehicles will be suspended "until the Belarusian authorities lift the restrictions for Polish carriers."

There are six checkpoints on the border of Belarus and Poland: cargo and passenger checkpoints - Bruzgi (on the Polish side - Kuznica-Białastockska), Berastavitsa (Babrovniki), Piaschatka (Polawtsi), Damachava (Slovatycha);

cargo — Kozlovichi (Kukuriki);

passenger — Brest (Terespol).


According to the information of the State Border Committee, previously the Polish authorities unilaterally prohibited crossing the border through Bruzgi, Piaschatka and Damachava.

Closure of border crossings between Poland and Belarus.

What you should know

  • In July 2021,

    Alexander Lukashenko

    said that due to sanctions, Belarus will no longer curb illegal migration to EU countries.

    Poland has become one of the countries to which flows of migrants rushed.

    Responding to the crisis, Poland, like Lithuania, began building a wall on the border with Belarus, and on November 9, 2021, closed the Kuznica Bialystok - Bruzgi crossing.

  • In Warsaw, Lukashenka's regime was accused of organizing illegal migration to EU countries in order to blackmail EU countries and demand the lifting of sanctions.

    Polish Prime Minister

    Mateusz Morawiecki

    expressed confidence that the scenario of "hybrid aggression" against the European Union was not developed by Minsk independently, but in close cooperation with Moscow.

  • On February 9, 2023, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Poland,

    Mariusz Kaminski,

    announced the decision to close the Bobrowniki-Berastawicz border crossing, starting from February 10.

    This was Poland's response to the political sentence against journalist

    Andrzej Pachobut

    , an activist of the Polish national minority in Belarus.

    He was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

  • There are a total of 6 checkpoints on the Belarusian-Polish border.

    From February 10, 2023, only one of them is open for cars and one for trucks, in Brest.

Border crossings on the border of Belarus and Poland.

Infographics

  • Brest (Terespol on the Polish side) — valid only for cars;

  • Kozlovichi (Kukuriki) — passage is allowed only for trucks;

  • Bruzgi (Kuznitsa Bialystokskaya) — closed in 2021;

  • Berastovitsa (Bobrovniki), - closed from February 10, 2023;

  • Piaschatka (Polawtsi) - does not function on the initiative of the Polish side;

  • Damachava (Slovatychy) - does not function on the initiative of the Polish side.

    • The border crossing with Lithuania "Privalka - Raigardas" continues to operate near Hrodna.

      It is located close to the border with Poland.

    • At a press conference in Brussels on February 10, the Polish Prime Minister noted that Warsaw is considering the option of closing the remaining two border crossings with Belarus.

      He stated that the Russians and the Kremlin are treating Belarus "instrumentally", and this poses a great threat to Poland and Ukraine.

    • Before the border crossing in Bobrovniki was closed, at least 12 customs officers were detained there.

      It may be about bribery.

      This was reported by Gazeta Wyborcza.

      The publication received information about the detention of customs officers on the night of February 11, already after the border crossing was closed.

    • On February 13, the Border Committee of Belarus reported that the number of cars at other crossings increased by 16% during the first weekend after the closure of Bobrovniki.