Lithuania, Estonia discuss EU border security as migrant crossings from Belarus top 25,500 since 2021

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Lithuanian Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas met with Estonian counterpart Igor Taro on Tuesday to discuss European Union external border security, illegal migration, hybrid threats, and civil protection. During the meeting in Vilnius, Katelynas presented the situation at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, highlighting that Lithuania has prevented more than 25,500 attempts by irregular migrants to cross the state border since 2021.

Katelynas emphasized that while the situation on the border with Belarus has remained relatively stable in recent months, the threat of illegal migration persists. The ministers also discussed secondary migration from Latvia, with Lithuanian officers detaining more than 1,450 irregular migrants arriving from Latvia this year. Katelynas stressed that while Lithuania has deployed border guards to assist Latvia, the primary responsibility for external border protection lies with each member state.

In a separate meeting, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys met with Philippine counterpart Theresa Lazaro on Friday to discuss bilateral economic cooperation in high-value-added sectors, as well as cybersecurity, energy, and defense. Budrys emphasized Lithuania's interest in deepening ties with the Philippines and stressed the importance of a rules-based international order. He also reaffirmed Lithuania's support for the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea.

Budrys highlighted the growing contribution of Lithuanian businesses to the digital transformation of the Philippines, noting that Lithuanian companies are already implementing projects in the digitalization of public services. He invited the Philippines to join the Vilnius Convention, the first legally binding international treaty aimed at protecting human rights in the context of artificial intelligence technologies.

Meanwhile, Latvia is reinforcing its eastern border with Russia, with plans to complete the majority of the work by the end of this year. The State Real Estate (VNĪ) has begun construction on additional border security infrastructure along a stretch of almost 42 kilometers in the most technically challenging sections of the Latvian-Russian border. The project includes the construction of an observation tower, access roads, and a launch site for motorboats and rowing boats with a pontoon jetty at Lake Peitels.

The technological infrastructure along the Latvia–Russia border is scheduled for completion by the second quarter of 2027. Imants Mekša, project manager at the Foreign and Border Projects Division of VNĪ, explained that the construction includes drainage solutions, ditches, and patrol path infrastructure in marshy areas where access is difficult.

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