By Leila Nezirevic
LONDON (AA) – Lithuania on Monday urged the European Union to provide financial support to strengthen Baltic country’s border protection with Russia.
Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite has sent an official letter addressed to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, stressing the urgent need to modernize and update border surveillance systems, according to a press release issued by the Interior Ministry.
“Today, strengthening the security of Lithuania’s 275-kilometre-long border (170.877 miles) with Russia is our priority. Much of the border surveillance infrastructure needs to be upgraded to ensure that we are properly informed about the situation at the border and can ensure the security of the EU external borders,” the press release quoted Bilotaite as saying.
The cost of this modernization is estimated at almost 16 million euros, while the required funding is €13.7 million ($14.9 million), the ministry said.
In October last year, Lithuania received a €9.3 million ($10.1 million) EU grant, which enabled the Baltic state to upgrade border surveillance systems along the entire border with Belarus.
In her letter, Bilotaite further highlighted the European Commission’s contribution to countering the influx of irregular migrants, supposedly “orchestrated by the Belarusian regime,” which began in 2021, according to national broadcaster LRT.
So far, the European Commission has provided Lithuania with around €100 million ($100.1 million) support for border reinforcement with Belarus amid alleged Russian hybrid attacks against the country, LRT said.