MP calls for debate on teddy bear drop in Lithuanian parliament

A Lithuanian MP has called for a parliamentary debate on the high-profile invasion of Belarus' airspace by a foreign plane from the Baltic country's territory.

On July 4, a single-engine plane piloted by two representatives of Sweden's public relations agency Studio Total invaded Belarus' airspace and dropped hundreds of teddy bears with "pro-free speech" signs on the town of Ivyanets and Minsk before flying back to Lithuania unhindered.

Addressing the head of the Lithuanian Seimas' national security and defense committee on August 10, Valentinas Mazuronis of the Order and Justice group in the parliament said that the incident should be discussed by the committee, said Russia's news agency RIA Novosti.

Mr. Mazuronis said that the Swedes' stunt created a "potential threat to Lithuanian-Belarusian economic and political relations." "Irrespective of the stunt's objectives and whether the motives are well-founded, Belarus is a neighbor of Lithuania, not Sweden, that's why such incidents can affect us as much painfully," he said.

The lawmaker stressed that the committee must discuss the incident as soon as possible.

Speaking on August 9, Mr. Lukashenka warned that Lithuania should not sit "like mice under the broom" over the incident. "They should tell us why they provided their territory for the violation of the state border," he said. "To Lithuania, if anyone, the response won't seem to be weak."