Lithuania agrees to help Kazakhstani long-haul drivers

According to the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development of Kazakhstan, more than 400 long-haul drivers have been stuck in Poland due to closed borders for all foreign cargo trucks except those from the E.U. The ban entered into effect on February 21.

The ministry negotiated with Kazakhstan’s embassies in Warsaw and Vilnius and local authorized agencies to let Kazakhstani drives leave Poland through Lithuania.

On February 20, the Foreign Ministry of Poland said that Belarus is preventing polish truck drivers from crossing border checkpoints between Belarus and Lithuania and Belarus and Latvia. As a result, Polish Internal Minister Mariusz Kaminski has decided to restrict Belarusian cargo trucks from crossing the Kukuriki-Kozlovichi border checkpoint. However, the Terespol border crossing continues to work as usual.

«The ban will be in effect until the authorities of Belarus lift all restrictions against Polish carriers,» the Polish authorities said.

So far, Belarusian long-haul drivers can return home via Lithuania and Latvia like their Kazakhstani counterparts.

Polish border service said that cargo trucks registered in Poland or any other E.U member state or European Free Trade Association, European Economic Area or Switzerland would face no restrictions.