Belarus Accuses Russia of Violating Border Agreement

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko accused Russia of violating bilateral border agreement on Friday at a meeting with representatives of the public and reporters. “We made agreements on transparent borders in 1995 and later, we were going to establish a Union State. Just imagine: there are some interstate relations, some agreements. And all of a sudden a minister, even be it a powerful one, connected to the FSB and all, with one stroke of a pen puts an end to all the agreements. How can it be?” Lukashenko said, TASS news agency reported. According to the Belarusian president, Russia’s decision to introduce controls on the border with Belarus is another political move. On Tuesday, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said Moscow had not sent prior notice of its decision to establish border controls. “Despite all agreements concerning border protection and border crossing, Russia has taken a decision to restore controls on the Belarusian border without prior notice,” Maria Vanshina, the head of the press service of Belarusian Foreign Ministry, elaborated.