The closure of 'Paternieki' could severely impact Latvia's economy, said transport operators 0 86

The Association of Road Carriers 'Latvijas auto' has urged the government to abandon the idea of closing the vehicle checkpoint 'Paternieki' on the Latvian-Belarusian border. Industry representatives believe that such a measure will negatively affect Latvian carriers and the country's economy.

The organization notes that after the closure of the only vehicle crossing, the flow of goods will not disappear but will simply shift to Lithuania and Poland. As a result, Latvia may lose transit revenues, jobs in Latgale, and part of the international transport market.

At the same time, the association supports measures to counter hybrid threats from Belarus, but considers the complete closure of the checkpoint to be excessive.

According to the carriers, the main flow of illegal migrants crosses the so-called 'green' border, rather than going through official checkpoints. Therefore, the functioning border crossing allows the state to most effectively control the movement of people and goods.

'Latvijas auto' also criticizes the procedure for preparing the decision. The association points out that the explanatory note to the project did not analyze possible alternatives and the economic consequences of closing the crossing. Furthermore, the project does not provide for the duration of the restrictions and the mechanism for their subsequent review.

Another problem that carriers highlight is the situation that has developed in recent days. Since July 31, the checkpoint has effectively not been operating due to technical malfunctions in the information systems, and dozens of trucks have already accumulated at the border.

The Chairman of the Board of 'Latvijas auto', Alexander Pociļuko, stated that security and economic interests should not be opposed to each other. According to him, many countries are strengthening border controls without halting the movement of freight transport.

He cited examples such as the USA, where scanners, risk analysis, and other control technologies are used at the border with Mexico, as well as Poland, which maintained freight traffic through the Koroszczyn checkpoint during the migration crisis.

The association proposes to strengthen border control instead of a complete closure, implement mandatory cargo scanning, expand the risk analysis system, and require prior registration of carriers. Additionally, the organization calls for a clear timeline for potential restrictions, a transitional period for already en route cargo, and an assessment of the economic consequences of the decision being made.

Currently, the draft order is under coordination and should be urgently reviewed by the Cabinet of Ministers. If the government supports the initiative of the Ministry of the Interior, 'Paternieki' will be closed to vehicle traffic. This is the only functioning vehicle checkpoint on the Latvian-Belarusian border. The railway crossing in Indra will continue to serve only freight trains.

The Ministry of the Interior explains the need for closure by the ongoing migration pressure from Belarus. The ministry believes that the measure will allow for more effective use of the resources of the State Border Guard, enhance the protection of the state border, and reduce public safety threats.