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Belarus ready to simplify border crossing for Ukrainians intent on picking up mushrooms, berries
MINSK, 25 June (BelTA) – The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement to Ukraine with a proposal to organize seasonal access to Belarusian territory for the Ukrainian population living near the border for the sake of gathering wild berries and mushrooms, BelTA has learned.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized: “The Belarusian side takes measures to organize seasonal simplified access to the Republic of Belarus for Ukrainian citizens living in the border area to gather wild plants on our territory. The State Border Committee of Belarus is ready to organize simplified crossing of the state border via three checkpoints: Mutvitsa, Khinichev, and Selishche. A note with the relevant proposals was handed over to Charge d'Affaires of Ukraine in the Republic of Belarus Ivan Novitsky at the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.”
“We emphasize: this is not a political gesture,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted. “This is a rational, life-driven proposal in the interests of ordinary people living in the border area. The forest provides a major boost to their households. We understand it and offer a well-established mechanism to preserve the habitual way of life without building artificial barriers.”
“We expect a response from the Ukrainian side. We are convinced that even in the current complicated conditions such steps represent normal practice of good-neighborly relations,” the statement of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads.
Lukashenko confirms readiness to open Belarus’ border for Ukrainian foragers
MINSK, 25 June (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko confirmed Minsk’s readiness to grant Ukrainians access to the country’s border area for wild foraging, as was customary in previous years, during a meeting with Governor of Russia’s Moscow Oblast Andrei Vorobyov in Minsk on 25 June, BelTA has learned.
The head of state revealed that he had recently instructed border guards and local authorities in Gomel Oblast and Brest Oblast to work out options for Ukrainians to visit familiar spots in Belarus. “Before the war, residents of the Ukrainian border areas would always come over to pick mushrooms and berries. They made $5,000 to $6,000 to get by. Was life easy in Ukraine before the war? It was very tough. And we opened the way for them,” the president said.
The head of state emphasized that even under current conditions, Belarus is ready to reopen these checkpoints: “So that Ukrainians can come over, just like they used to, and do their wild foraging in the wetlands – they know these spots better than we do – and then sell what they find. We understand that things are complicated and difficult for them over there.”
“If the Ukrainian authorities, who currently forbid them from doing so, abandon this policy and allow people to cross over into Belarus to harvest mushrooms and berries, let them do it and sell their goods. We are not afraid of this. We will be able to monitor everyone who comes here with good intentions,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.
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