Vilnius [Lithuania], December 17: Long truck lines have formed at the Lithuanian border with Belarus, possibly due to system disruptions, Lithuania's Customs Department reported on Monday.
"As is the case every year, there is a tendency for truck lines to form in the run-up to and during the festive period at the Lithuanian border with Belarus," the department noted.
Additionally, Lithuanian customs authorities are facing challenges in obtaining export declarations or confirmations of goods' departure on time due to issues with export systems management, which may have also contributed to the delays, according to the department.
According to the State Border Guard Service, approximately 300 trucks were waiting at Medininkai on Monday morning, while another 320 were at Salcininkai. Estimated waiting times are currently around two and four days, respectively, the Baltic News Service (BNS) reported.
Romas Austinskas, president of Linava, Lithuania's national road carriers' association, predicted that the truck lines will ease after Christmas.
"It is always like this before the holidays. We see truck lines every year before Christmas and New Year, but they disappear after Christmas," Austinskas told BNS.
Lithuania closed its Lavoriskes, Raigardas, Sumskas, and Tverecius border crossing points with Belarus last year and earlier this year, leaving only the Medininkai and Salcininkai crossings operational.
Source: Xinhua News Agency