By detaining and refusing to allow Lithuanian diplomatic mail across the border, Belarus has violated even the norms recognized as acceptable by dictators, according to European Commission (EC) Vice-President Frans Timmermans, who is on a visit to Lithuania.
“The day the Belarusian regime gets the more naughty, Belarus no longer respects even the very basic standards of diplomacy adopted by dictators around the world, and it is already becoming out of control,” he told reporters in Vilnius on Friday. “The only possible answer is austerity: we must maintain a firm stance on Belarus, we must be completely clear about sanctions, we must show them that this behavior is completely unacceptable to Europe.”
Timmermans also emphasized that the EC is in full solidarity with Lithuania and that the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Home Affairs Ilva Johansone is consulting with the Lithuanian government on the incident in Medininkai.
“We will support Lithuania to the end,” the EC vice-president added.
Belarusian officials have reportedly detained a car carrying Lithuanian diplomatic mail at a Medininkai border checkpoint and demanded the removal of diplomatic stamps and the opening of the car. When the Lithuanian diplomatic couriers rejected this request, the car had to return to the territory of Lithuania.
In connection with the incident, a representative of the Belarusian Embassy was urgently summoned to the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday and a note of protest was submitted to him.
Commenting on what happened, Foreign Minister Gabriel Landsberg said in detaining a car with diplomatic mail at the country’s border, Belarus has grossly violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and “demonstrated once again that the laws of the civilized world no longer exist”.
“A dictatorship is raging in the heart of Europe,” he added.
In accordance with the Vienna Convention, diplomatic bag must not be opened or detained and diplomatic couriers must ensure the protection and integrity of the host country; they may not be detained or arrested.
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