Minsk does not dramatize situation after Russia introduced border controls but says such steps give rise to questions - Belarusian Foreign Ministry
MINSK. Feb 2 (Interfax) - The Belarusian Foreign Ministry is analyzing Russia's decision to introduce a border control zone along the land border between the two countries, saying, however, that such steps give rise to questions.
"I believe there is no point in dramatizing the situation now. We are analyzing this document," deputy head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry's information department and press service head Maria Vanshina said in a statement.
"At this point, I would like to highlight two important aspects," Vanshina went on.
"Firstly, despite all the applicable agreements that regulate safeguarding of state frontiers of the two countries and procedures for their crossing, the Russian side made the decision to establish a border zone at the frontier with Belarus without prior warning," she said.
Vanshina went on to note that "unfortunately, this is not the fist case like this". "A similar situation took place in early 2016, when Russia actually started introducing restrictions with regard to entry of citizens of third countries across the border between Belarus and Russia," she recalled.
"Given the level of direct interactions between our border guard services and their mutual representation, such a lack of coordination of actions naturally gives rise to reasonable questions," Vanshina said.
Border zones have been established on the perimeter of the Smolensk, Pskov and Bryansk regions bordering Belarus in accordance with the orders of Russian Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov published on the legal data portal.
The border zones are being set up "to create necessary conditions for protection of the state border of the Russian Federation," according to the acts.
Bortnikov has ordered FSB regional departments in the Smolensk, Pskov and Bryansk regions to determine places and hours for entry into the border zone by individuals and vehicles, and to organize the posting of warning signs.
Border controls along the Russia-Belarus border were lifted after the two countries signed the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighborliness and Cooperation in 1995.
In 2014, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko issued Executive Order 433 to establish the border territory within administrative-territorial units adjacent to the Belarus-Russia state border.
Lukashenko signed a decree on January 9, 2017, to introduce a visa-free regime for entry and departure of foreign citizens. The act stipulates visa-free entry into Belarus for no longer than five days via the National Airport Minsk border-crossing point. The act affects citizens of 80 countries, and specifically, 39 European countries (including all EU nations), as well as Brazil, Indonesia, the United States, Japan and others.
The new rules allowing visa-free entry into Belarus will take effect on February 12, 2017.