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In Brussels, during his meeting with EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Juras Taminskas stressed that EU engagement is essential for protecting EU airspace and civil aviation, returning the Lithuanian trucks stranded in Belarus, and reinforcing the transport sector’s resilience to hybrid threats.

“Smuggling balloons pose ongoing risks to civil aviation, while our trucks are being unlawfully detained at the Belarusian border. We are not alone though – other Europeans in the aggressor state, along with travellers flying to or from Lithuania, are also at risk. We are therefore working with regional partners on shared solutions. Counter-measures are needed to protect our people and build a stronger, more resilient transport sector,” said Minister Taminskas.

The Minister and the Commissioner also exchanged views on the situation of Lithuanian hauliers, EU efforts to enhance military mobility, and the preparation of the EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034.

The meeting underlined that Russia and Belarus have repeatedly resorted to hybrid actions against EU Member States.For this reason, support from EU institutions in helping Lithuanian transport operators recover their assets is a matter of importance for the entire Union.Lithuania’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Transport and Communications have already addressed this issue through a formal request to the European Commission.

Minister Taminskas also stressed the importance of Rail Baltica, Via Baltica and the alternative Suwałki corridor in ensuring safer and more competitive transport links between the Baltic States and Europe. These projects are now included in the EU’s military mobility corridors and will significantly bolster NATO’s eastern flank.

The Minister further emphasised the importance of continued, long-term and sustainable EU financing for military mobility needs, especially for eastern Member States that share a border with Russia and Belarus.

Regional security is expected to be a central topic in Minister Taminskas’s meeting with Director-General of DG MOVE, Magda Kopczyńska.

These issues will also be prominent at the EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council in Brussels on 4–5 December.

Kontaktinis asmuo
Communication Division
at the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania
Gedimino Av. 17, LT-01103 Vilnius
[email protected]

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This is a press release for content of which BNS bears no responsibility!