The proposal was unanimously supported by 98 lawmakers, with nobody abstaining or voting against.
The agreement had been concluded to allow individuals living in the border areas of Lithuania and Belarus to cross the state border using special local permits and to remain in the border area of the other country for up to 90 days within a six-month period.
Lithuania ratified the agreement on 28 June 2011 and informed Belarus about this through diplomatic channels.
However, the agreement never took effect as Belarus did not inform Lithuania about the completion of its internal procedures needed for the agreement to enter into force.
As reported, Lithuania imposed national sanctions in 2023 due to the role of Belarus in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions include restrictions on permanent and temporary residence, on visa issuance and electronic resident status for Belarusian citizens.