Lithuania, Estonia discuss EU border security as Latvia deploys NATO forces near Belarus frontier
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7 days · 5 summary articles
Lithuanian Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas met Estonian counterpart Igor Taro in Vilnius on Tuesday to address European Union external border security, illegal migration, hybrid threats and civil protection. Katelynas briefed Taro on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, where authorities have blocked over 25,500 irregular migrant crossing attempts since 2021, with more than 1,450 migrants arriving from Latvia detained this year .
The ministers discussed secondary migration from Latvia, where over 8,000 attempts to enter from Belarus have been recorded in 2026, nearly nine times Lithuania’s figure. Katelynas emphasized that while Lithuania has deployed border guards to assist Latvia, each EU member state bears primary responsibility for its external borders. The talks also covered drone and weather balloon threats, with Lithuania seeking EU funding to counter rising incidents involving unidentified flying objects near critical infrastructure .
Meanwhile, Latvia’s Ministry of the Interior proposed suspending operations at the Paternieki border crossing with Belarus, the only road checkpoint on that frontier. The draft decision, submitted for urgent government review, aims to bolster border security and optimize resources amid sustained irregular migration pressure. However, Latvia’s Cabinet later decided against a full closure, opting instead to deploy NATO allied forces near the eastern border for exercises to combat illegal crossings .
Latvia also formalized its national position on EU sanctions, urging further measures to weaken Russia and Belarus, including expanded tariffs and bans on additional product groups. Since 2022, Latvia’s imports from Russia have plummeted by 91%, from €2.129 billion to €193 million in 2025, with May 2026 figures showing €4.4 million in imports and €70.7 million in exports. National restrictions now cover agricultural, industrial, and food products, including live animals, dairy, and meat .
In a separate development, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys met Vietnamese counterpart Le Hoai Trung in Hanoi to expand bilateral ties in energy, high technology, and trade. Lithuanian firms, including KN Energies, signed a memorandum with Vietnam’s Indel Petro to develop liquefied natural gas infrastructure. Budrys also highlighted Lithuania’s digital and biometric solutions, while Vietnam pledged to accelerate approvals for Lithuanian agricultural exports .
China imposed export restrictions on Lithuanian laser manufacturer Ekspla, limiting its access to dual-use goods from Chinese suppliers in apparent retaliation for EU sanctions against Russia . Lithuania also seeks to produce Ukrainian drones under a bilateral defense agreement, according to Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas .
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