Lithuania to receive EU funding to step up border protection

Lithuania will receive financial support from the European Commission to step up the protection of its border with Russia, Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said on Thursday, News.Az reports citing Lithuanian media.

"We will receive funding from Europe. There's now 150 million euros earmarked specifically for strengthening the infrastructure of the eastern borders,” the minister told the Žinių Radijas radio. “Of course, we will have to share these funds, but I think that this is probably not the end of the story.”

She sent a letter to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson in early July, asking for financial support. In her letter, Bilotaitė stressed the urgent need to upgrade border surveillance systems.

Lithuania is estimated to need an additional 65 million euros for the upgrade of its border surveillance systems by 2030.

"We don't see any migrant flows there, but we clearly understand that we need to strengthen the border. I have tasked our border service to draw up a plan of measures and priorities to strengthen our border with the Russian Federation, meaning that we need to upgrade certain infrastructure," Bilotaitė said.

Speaking earlier this week, Rustamas Liubajevas, the commander of Lithuania's State Border Guard Service (VSAT), said his service would propose to the Interior Ministry to tighten the procedure for accessing areas bordering Russia.

News.Az