The prime ministers of Poland and Lithuania in a joint statement called on the EU states to increase support for Lithuania amid the crisis with migrants arriving from Belarus and to increase pressure on the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.
The text of the joint statement is posted on the website of the Polish government.
“We condemn the use of illegal migration by Lukashenko’s regime as a weapon of political pressure on the EU and its individual member states. This once again demonstrates the cynicism of the Belarusian regime and demonstrates the need for a quick response and joint EU actions to address this security challenge,” the statement reads.
The prime ministers of Poland and Lithuania note that there are no signs of improvement on the EU’s eastern border, and the number of illegal immigrants crossing the border with Belarus continues to grow, reaching several hundred people a day.
“In this unprecedented situation for our region, Lithuania and Poland call on the EU and its member states to continue and strengthen urgent diplomatic, financial and technical support to Lithuania in its fight against the criminal consequences of the Lukashenko regime,” the prime ministers say.
They also called on the EU institutions to use all the means at their disposal to block the new path of illegal migration as soon as possible.
“In addition, we call on the EU and its member states to use this momentum to strengthen the EU’s common policy on migration and asylum and to reconsider the approach to border security. We are deeply convinced that protecting the external borders of the Schengen area is not only the responsibility of individual states — members but also the common responsibility of the EU, “the statement said.
“Lithuania and Poland note the need for a quick and decisive response to the actions of the Belarusian regime and all those involved in organizing and facilitating the smuggling of illegal migrants, including by expanding the EU restrictive measures to the Belarusian regime,” the prime ministers noted.
As reported, the prime ministers of the Baltic states agreed to lead the process of developing additional EU sanctions against the Belarusian regime.
