Belarus tightened border control with Russia

• 17.06.2009, 11:22

Belarusian custom officers began to stop Russian cargo trucks since 9.00 a.m. June 17.

The information about imposing tight control over trafficking on main Belarusian-Russian roads by the State Custom Committee of Belarus (SCC) from 9.00 a.m. June 17 was told journalists by SCC head Alyaksandr Shpileuski on June 16.

“In accordance with the instructions of the head of state, I ordered to impose tight control over he movement of goods on the main Belarusian-Russian roads from 9.00 a.m. June 17,” Shpileuski told.

According to the Belarusian SCC head, this is a “reasonable decision“, because “for 15 days in June the Belarusian customs has seized Br8.620 billion worth of smuggled goods,” Shpileuski told. Besides, he mentioned that “an estimated $10 million of goods vanished on the way to Kaliningrad last year,” Interfax reports.

It should be reminded that the Russian Agency for Health and Consumer Rights banned import of 600 types of Belarusian dairy products on June 6 because Belarusian producers didn’t have approvals inline with Russian milk regulations come in force in December 2008. The agency said later it banned import of 800 types more Belarusian dairy products to certain Russian provinces.

The ban followed a cooldown in Moscow-Minsk relations caused by Russia’s unwillingness to give the promised $500 million loan.

It was informed earlier that Alyaksandr Lukashenka ordered the custom and border committees to prepare an offer to impose custom and border control at the Belarusian-Russian frontier similar to that conducted by Russia.