VILNIUS, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The three Baltic states -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- reopened their shared borders on Friday, allowing citizens and persons legally residing there to move freely after two months of border controls due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
According to a press release, the foreign affairs ministers of the three countries signed a memorandum of understanding in Riga on lifting the restrictions on land, rail, air and maritime transport.
"The progress made in preventing the spread of the disease has allowed the countries to gradually ease the coronavirus lockdown and to take important decisions enabling their citizens to travel without restrictions again," said Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius.
He said this was very important for the countries' economies, tourism services and also to the broad public.
The ministers also adopted a joint statement on the reciprocal lifting of restrictions on movement.
Lithuania reintroduced control along its borders with European Union member countries on March 14 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
According to Lithuania's Ministry of Health, the country had 1,523 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Friday morning. To date, 54 people have died and 965 recovered. Enditem
