Almost 900 vehicles in line to leave Belarus for EU - Belarusian State Border Committee

MINSK. Feb 13 (Interfax) - The number of vehicles waiting to cross the Belarusian border into the European Union has grown to nearly 900 on Monday morning after the shutdown of a checkpoint on the Polish-Belarusian border, the Belarusian State Border Committee said in a statement.

"The number of vehicles destined for the European Union has increased. The closure of the Bobrowniki (Berestovitsa) checkpoint by the other side has increased the load on other routes," the committee said.

"For instance, the concentration of cars headed to the EU grew 16% over the weekend. There were clearance delays at the Polish Terespol checkpoint (Brest on the Belarus side) and the Lithuanian Raigardas checkpoint (Privalka). Border services of the neighbors cleared 32% and 61% of the normal number of vehicles, respectively," it said.

According to information available on the committee's website, the total number of cars standing in line at checkpoints on the EU border exceeds 430, including over 300 vehicles waiting to cross into Poland.

"The number of trailer trucks waiting to cross into the EU has grown 20%. Trucks are observed near the Polish Kukuryki checkpoint (Kozlovichi in Belarus) and the Lithuanian checkpoints Raigardas (Privalka) and Medininkai (Kamenny Log). In all, 44% of the normal number of trucks have traveled along these routes," the committee said.

According to the committee, about 450 trucks are waiting to cross into the EU on Monday morning, including 300 trucks standing in line to the Polish checkpoint.

Poland has officially notified Minsk about suspending the operation of the Bobrowniki (Berestovitsa) checkpoint from noon on February 10 for an indefinite period. Two checkpoints, one for trucks and the other for cars, currently operate on the Polish-Belarusian border.