Border and customs committees ready to close border with Russia “at the earliest possible date”
- 15.06.2009, 16:02
An operational conference took place in the State border committee with participation of the Customs Committee.
If required, the State Border committee and the State Customs Committee of Belarus are ready to set up elements of customs and border control as soon as practicable. It was stated to journalists on June 14 by the head of the border control department of the State Border Committee of Belarus Ivan Bandarenka, BelTA informs.
As noted y Ivan Bandarenka, on instructions from the leader of the state, an operational conference in the State border committee with participation of the Customs Committee has taken place today. It was dedicated to the issues of providing parity conditions for border and customs control at the Belarusian-Russian border. “Relevant authorities have been set a task to work out the order of introducing elements of border and customs control adequate to the Russian variant,” a representative of the State Border Committee said.
Ivan Bandarenka underlined that for almost 10 years a complex of unilateral measures had been implemented, and at the moment about 15 posts accepting notifications are working from the Russian side, which de facto perform border control functions. A paradoxical situation arises, when citizens cross the state border with Ukraine or the EU member states within 10-15 minutes, while they have to stand for a few hours at the border with Russia.
Besides, operational tasks are performed by 5 departments of border service of the Federal Security Service of Russia at the Russian-Belarusian border. “Such actions haven’t been made by customs or border services from the Belarusian side,” Ivan Bandarenka emphasized.
Basing upon international norms and contract commitments of the Belarusian and Russian sides, state border guarding is carried out by joint efforts and is aimed at prevention of trans-border crime and illegal migration. “The existing situation and the need of provide interests of parity and adequate mutual efforts in defence of the common border dictate new reality. So far we mean only elaboration of the problem, but in case related decision adopted, the customs and border services of Belarus are able to perform this task as soon as practicable,” the head of the border control department said.
At the same time, he notes that these measures are not aimed for aggravating relations between Belarus and Russia, and Belarus is keep to the same parameters of good neighbourly relations based upon mutual respect to rights and freedoms of citizens of Belarus and Russia equally.
The customs and border control at the Belarusian-Russian border is carried out according to the previous mode so far. BelTA reporter was told about that by the head of the press-centre of the State Border Committee of Belarus Alyaksandr Tishchenka.
“We are speaking just about elaborating the order, technology and possibility of introducing elements of border and customs control at the border with Russia. From the Russian side there are elements of customs and borer control. These measures were not been introduced from the Belarusian side before,” he said.