By Ilayda Cakirtekin
ISTANBUL (AA) - Lithuania on Wednesday summoned the charge d'affairs of Belarus to register a formal protest note over "ongoing hybrid attacks."
"On 9 December, a diplomatic note of protest over the ongoing hybrid attacks from the territory of Belarus and the forcible detention of property of EU citizens and companies was handed to the charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Lithuania, the ministry added, "strongly urged" Belarus to ensure effective control of its airspace and to return "illegally seized" assets of European citizens and companies.
"The MFA expressed regret that the Belarusian side did not seize the opportunity to exchange views at a technical level, an offer Belarus had repeatedly made, calling for a discussion of issues both publicly and through diplomatic channels," the statement underscored.
The ministry said the Lithuanian side remains "ready to engage in constructive dialogue" but the "unequivocal refusal of the Belarusian side, despite its own initial and subsequent calls, demonstrates a simple unwillingness to cooperate in addressing problematic issues and a clear lack of goodwill."
Lithuania on Tuesday declared a nationwide emergency in response to the recent launch of smuggling balloons from Belarus into the country.
Suspected smuggling balloons carrying cigarettes from Belarus have repeatedly disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport in recent months and have also affected operations once at Kaunas Airport.
Interior Ministry data shows that around 600 smuggling balloons and 200 drones have entered Lithuania’s airspace this year, disrupting over 300 flights, affecting 47,000 passengers, and causing roughly 60 hours of airport closures.
Officials say the high-altitude balloons, filled with helium or hydrogen, fly at a similar height to airliners approaching an airport, raising the risk of collisions.