Polish humanitarian aid convoy detained on the border with Belarus

Convoy with Polish humanitarian aid detained on the border with Belarus. According to the head of the Prime Minister’s office, Michał Dworczyk, the transport organized by the Solidarity Trade Union has been standing for several hours on the Belarusian side of the border.

Solidarity sent 18 tons to Belarus – mostly foodi. It is to be targeted at workers of plants which are on strike in protest against the results of the presidential elections announced by the authorities.

It is natural that Poland, with such history, such experiences, Polish trade unionists are trying to help their colleagues, workers who are on strike in Minsk, other cities that are also fighting to live in a free, democratic, sovereign country – says Michał Dworczyk in an interview with RMF FM journalist Krzysztof Zasada.

In Polsat News, Dworczyk added that So far, the Belarusian authorities have provided no justification for stopping the convoy.

As the National Tax Administration informed PAP, “the convoy with humanitarian aid was notified and then released for the export procedure at the Customs Department in Białystok after 6 p.m. Then it went to the border Customs Department in Bobrowniki, where at around 8 p.m. the border was crossed. “.

The truck is in clearance on the Belarusian side, it cannot enter Belarus. Belarusians multiply formal obstacles. At the moment, we are considering what to do next. When we make a decision, we’ll announce it – says the spokesman of NSZZ “S” Marek Lewandowski.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervenes with the Belarusian authorities to stop the transport of NSZZ Solidarność with support for striking Belarusians. More information soon” – wrote Paweł Jabłoński, deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Twitter.

The deputy minister told PAP that the talks were ongoing, and the Polish side expects the transport to pass. This year, we sent two very large convoys to Belarus with humanitarian aid in connection with the coronavirus epidemic. It was medical equipment, protective equipment, medicines. There were no problems with these shipments. If now Solidarność provides support, we see no reason why this kind of aid should be rejected by the Belarusian authorities. We treat this as an undesirable effect in bilateral relations said Jabłoński.

He also assured that the help of “Solidarity” was not a “political action”. It supports the Belarusian society, just like previous convoys have supported this society – added.