Belarus responds to Poland's closing of border checkpoint

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Feb 2023 20:57
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Minsk takes several retaliatory measures after Warsaw decided to suspend traffic at the Bobrowniki checkpoint.

Trucks lined up at the Belarusian border awaiting entry into the EU (AP)

Belarus on Friday announced that it was limiting access for Polish trucks on its territory and announced the expulsion of a liaison officer following Poland's decision to close a border crossing.

Last week, Polish Interior and Administration Minister Mariusz Kaminski announced that traffic at the Bobrowniki checkpoint at the Polish-Belarusian border would be suspended starting February 10, in the "interests of state security."

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry summoned Poland's charge d'affaires to condemn Warsaw's decision to close one of its three existing border crossings with Belarus as "unilateral" and "inhumane".

Polish goods trucks will now only be able to enter and leave Belarus through crossings on their common border.

"All responsibility for the deterioration of the conditions for the operations of their carriers lies with the initiator of the restrictive measures, that is the current government of Poland," pointed out a Belarusian Foreign Ministry statement.

Minsk also said it would reduce staffing at Poland's consulate in Grodno to match staff numbers staff in the Belarusian consulate in Polish Bialystok.

The Ministry said the Belarusian side "does not see the point of the continued presence on its territory of a liaison officer for the Polish Border Guard."

It stressed that "Belarus does not plan further to initiate worsening of the living conditions and doing business of either its own or neighboring citizens," making clear that it will not disregard any destructive steps taken by Poland and reserves the right to take more serious retaliatory measures.

The statement concluded that Minsk once again urges the Polish government "to think before making responsible decisions that affect people's lives, and take advantage of the readiness of the Belarusian side for a mutually respectful dialogue."

Poland could close last checkpoint on Belarus border if security threat arises

In the same context, Pawel Jablonski, undersecretary for development cooperation at the Polish Foreign Ministry, warned on Thursday that Poland is ready to close the last border crossing point with Belarus in the event of a security threat to the country.

"If the security situation requires it," Jablonski told Polish radio station RMF FM when asked whether the Polish authorities are ready to close the last Polish-Belarusian checkpoint.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki last week also said Poland may close its remaining open border crossings with Belarus.

"When it comes to Belarus' actions, we are not ruling out the closure of border crossings with Belarus," Morawiecki told reporters.

The closure of the Bobrowniki-Bierestowica border checkpoint left Poland and Belarus with only two remaining crossings open — Kukuryki-Kozlovichi for freight and Terespol-Brest for passenger traffic.

It is noteworthy that Poland's border guards announced in January 2022 the start of construction of a 186-kilometer (115-mile) fence at the border with Belarus after thousands of migrants from the Middle East streamed to the border in an attempt to cross into the European Union.

There have been massive tensions between Poland and Belarus over the migrant crisis, which has been taking place since November 2021, with Warsaw witnessing thousands of migrants and refugees attempting to cross its borders, most of whom come from the Middle East and Africa.

Poland confronted these waves of migrants by sending thousands of soldiers in addition to imposing a state of emergency on its borders. Authorities have worked to establish a barbed wire fence, an action that has exposed the Warsaw government to sharp criticism for its toughness in dealing with the crisis.