The Cabinet of Ministers agreed with the proposal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania to maintain a state of emergency at the border areas of the country along the state border with Belarus, the Kaliningrad region of Russia and at border checkpoints outside the territory of the Lithuanian border (these include border checkpoints at railway stations and airports).

The Ministry noted that "the threat to public peace is not abating: Belarus still allows foreigners to cross its border unhindered, while Russia conducts an open and intensifying rhetoric of threats against countries that support Ukraine."

According to Prime Minister

, the state of emergency will be in effect until the Diet adopts a separate law that provides for sanctions against Russians trying to enter Lithuania.

Also, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania recalled the signing by Russia and Belarus of an agreement on mutual recognition of visas, which allows foreign citizens to enter, leave, stay and transit through these countries from March, provided they have a visa from one of them and documents confirming their identity.

The document emphasizes that such a legal framework will facilitate the movement of foreigners from Russia to Belarus who intend to illegally enter the European Union.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, this will probably increase migration pressure on the external border of the EU with Belarus.

On March 8, the Lithuanian government decided that the restrictions on Belarusian and Russian citizens, which are now fixed in the decree on the state of emergency, should be transferred to a separate law.

While the Diet has not made a decision on this issue, the Cabinet of Ministers has asked to discuss it urgently.