Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Hopes for Quick Resolution of Border Issues

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In January, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree under which citizens of 80 countries can enter Belarus through the checkpoint of the Minsk National Airport and stay during five days without a visa. The decree, which affects Russia due to the free movement regime between the countries under the Union State of Russia and Belarus, entered into force in February. Russia in its turn established a border zone in Pskov, Smolensk and Bryansk regions on the border with Belarus to block illegal transit migration, drug trafficking and illegal movement of material assets in the wake of Lukashenko's decree. The move was criticized by Minsk.

"One of the current problems, which raises concern and criticism among citizens of Belarus and Russia, as well as among nationals of third countries, is some of the… changes related to crossing the Belarusian-Russian border… Work on the existing agreement on mutual visa recognition and other issues related to the entry of foreigners on the territory of the members of the Union State is going on… I hope this as a whole would help to solve border problems," Petrishenko said.

The ambassador pointed out that establishment of the border zones and restoring passport control created many difficulties for the Russian and Belarusian citizens.

"For more than twenty years of [border] openness it became usual and convenient to all citizens, including foreigners visiting our countries, to travel through Belarus to Russia and back by car, bus or train. Now, because of the lack of international checkpoints on the land border nationals of the third countries have to go a long way round through the Baltic States or Ukraine. It is expensive and inconvenient," Petrishenko added.

The diplomat stressed that by introducing a five-day visa free regime the country only canceled visa fees, while all the control measures remained unchanged.

Petrishenko noted that talks on joint measures to ensure additional security on the external border of the Union State and on finding a mutually beneficial solution was held on various levels.

Earlier in June, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow and Minsk achieved significant progress in forming a unified visa policy, with the agreement on mutual recognition of visas entering its final stage.