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WARSAW, December 30, 2010 (AFP) - Lithuania said Thursday it was considering dropping its 60 euro (79 dollar) national visa fee for Belarussians a gesture of solidarity after the recent crackdown on opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis said Thursday Vilnius had offered to start talks on the issue with authorities in Minsk.

"Our officials this week suggested to open negotiations on issuing national travel visas free of charge to Belarussians," Azubalis told AFP.

"More and more people are involved in building civil society in Belarus and we must help them by the opening gates to the rest of Europe," the minister added.

Lithuania's southern neighbour Poland on Wednesday announced it was waiving its 20-euro (26-dollar) visa fee for citizens of neighbouring Belarus as of January 1, but reserved the right to block anyone tied to the crackdown on opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus launched a fresh crackdown on the opposition after the December 19 re-election of authoritarian President Lukashenko -- ruler of the ex-Soviet republic since 1994 -- in a vote that Western observers said fell well short of international standards.

More than 600 people were arrested as security forces broke up a massive post-ballot rally in the centre of the capital Minsk.

However, Azubalis said the elections showed the situation in Belarus has improved over the last four years.

"Look at the elections of 2006 -- there were many fewer non-governmental organizations, especially youth organizations. Political consciousness has improved in Belarus since then," he insisted.

Like Belarus, Lithuania won independence from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991. A member of EU since 2004, Lithuania has repeatedly said it was ready to help spur reforms in Belarus and bring the country closer to the 27-nation bloc.