"The activity of check-points on the state border must have respective international-legal grounds, in the form of a bilateral agreement, as a rule. In case of the Lyamony check-point, the interim agreement between the Russian and Latvian governments on a simplified procedure for crossing the Russian-Latvian border by the residents of border areas, dated December 14, 1994, served as such grounds.
"In April 2000, it was unilaterally denounced by the Latvian side. After that, talks on the preparation of a new agreement on a simplified procedure for crossing the Russian-Latvian border by the residents of border areas started," says the commentary.
In the opinion of the Russian foreign ministry, an early signing of this agreement "would allow the sides to provide a legal base for the functioning of this and other check-points in the interests of the residents of border areas", notes the commentary.
"However, the draft of this agreement has been examined by the Latvian side since October 2003 , while a number of latest statements by Latvian representatives cause serious doubts as to the possibility of its earliest signing," notes the department.
Considering, in connection with this, the Russian decision to close the Lyamony check-point on the border with Latvia from May 1, 2004 to be justified, the Russian side, nevertheless, "is prepared for joint work on both the draft of the said agreement and the draft of a more general agreement on border-crossing points", says the commentary of the Russian foreign ministry.
