Press releases

GRODNO, 12 May (BelTA) – Motor ship service has been resumed between the Belarusian city of Grodno and the Lithuanian city of Druskininkai. The motor ship Olga Solomova left Grodno on 12 May to travel along the Neman River, BelTA has learned.

The first passengers included representatives of the administration of the bordering regions of Belarus and Lithuania, the border services and the customs services of the two countries, representatives of the diplomatic missions and the business community. They were given a chance to experience the tourism route first hand in addition to finding all the kinks that need to be ironed out.

Viktor Liskovich, Deputy Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee, noted: “After a long break we are reopening the route that was very popular in the Soviet time. We and our neighbors are interested in it. Today we are going to primarily discuss the possibility of reviving shipping along the Neman River, including by means of transboundary cooperation projects.” The official said that certain preparations had been done. The Lithuanian side has set up the river border checkpoint Privalka-Svendubre while the Belarusian side has yet to do the same.

Plans have been made to acquire compact motor boats and develop tourism infrastructure on banks of the Neman River. Apart from that, it is necessary to dredge the river bed for the sake of regular shipping traffic.

“If things go well, tourists will be able to fully appreciate the new water route as early as next year. We are intent on working together with the Belarusian side to primarily develop the accompanying infrastructure such as berths and recreation sites. It is also necessary to address several legal matters but considering the interest of the sides in the project, it will not take long,” noted Gintaras Skamarocius, Director of the state enterprise Euroregion Neman Bureau in Mariampol.

Joint efforts aimed at developing tourism infrastructure in the bordering regions will go beyond the Neman River. Work to create a network of cycling lanes will be continued in the Augustow Canal area. The lanes will be later included into the pan-European network. Belarus, Latvia, and Poland are also working out a tourism route that will go along the Augustow Canal and the Neman River.

In the future the Neman River on the Belarusian and Lithuanian sides may become part of the ancient route from the Varangians to the Greeks.