Polish farmers brought their own lorry to a site adjacent to the main motorway connecting Poland and Lithuania. Banners aimed against the European Green Deal and against import of agricultural produce from Ukraine were displayed on the lorry.
A representative of Polish farmers who organised the campaign, Karol Pieczynski, asked reporters not to call the protest campaign a blockade. According to him, heavy goods vehicles arriving from Lithuania would be inspected. He said that border protection and tax inspection agencies would check what items the vehicles are carrying, while farmers would just observe 24/7.
A Lithuanian delegation plans to travel to the border as well. It will consist of Vilmantas Vitkauskas, director of the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC), Vitalijus Dmitrijevas, deputy minister of the interior, Valdas Aleknavičius, chancellor of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ramūnas Dilba, chancellor of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Renatas Požėla, police commissioner general, General Rustamas Liubajevas, commander of the State Border Guard Service (VSAT), Vygantas Paigozinas, deputy director of the Migration Department, and representatives of the Embassy of Lithuania in Poland.
The delegation will hear out the demands of Polish farmers and present information available to the Lithuanian side. Lithuanian authorities vowed to verify all the data that Polish agencies or farmers would gather during the protest.
Minister of Agriculture Kęstutis Navickas on Friday is holding a video call with the minister of agriculture of Poland, whereas the Ministry of Transport and Communications is in talks with Polish authorities to allow heavy goods vehicles to pass through Lazdijai border checkpoint in case of congestion on the motorway near Kalvarija.
