Finland opens 2 checkpoints at border with Russia

HELSINKI/ST. PETERSBURG. Dec 14 (Interfax) - Finland opened two passenger checkpoints out of eight at the border with Russia on Thursday, consistent with the government's decision.

"The other checkpoints at the eastern border may also open by the middle of January, situation permitting," Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen told Yle.

The decision to open the Vaalimaa and Niirala border checkpoints is valid until January 14.

"Of course, more can open over this time if the situation looks quiet and normal," Rantanen said.

The border might close again if a large number of asylum seekers start arriving, she said. "Reports from Russia about asylum seekers have been contradictory," she said.

Vaalimaa, the closest checkpoint to St. Petersburg, opened at midnight, and Niirala in north Karelia resumed operation at 8 a.m., local media said.

Traffic from Finland was larger than from Russia overnight and early in the morning, Finnish Border Guard Captain Jussi Vainikka told Yle.

As of 8 a.m., 324 persons crossed into Russia and 124 arrived in Finland. Most of the travelers have dual citizenship and residence permits. Not a single asylum seeker has arrived in Finland so far. Most of the travelers came by personal vehicles. There were trucks and buses, too.

There are no people arriving by bicycle and possible asylum seekers, Yle said. "Traffic bound to Finland has been calm," Vaalimaa checkpoint head Jussi Pekkala said.

In turn, the Russian Northwestern Customs Department's press service said on Thursday that motor traffic had resumed through the Torfyanovka (Leningrad region) and Vyartsilya (Karelia) checkpoints at the Russian-Finnish border.

"The Finnish side lifted all operational restrictions and opened passenger and cargo traffic through the Vaalimaa [adjacent to Torfyanovka of the Russian Vyborg customs] and Niirala [Vyartsilya of the Karelia customs] in the early hours of Thursday," the report said.

Twenty-four trucks (seven inbound and 17 outbound), 190 cars (136 inbound and 54 outbound), three buses (one inbound and two outbound) and 348 persons (250 inbound and 98 outbound) crossed the border both ways through Torfyanovka between midnight and 8 a.m., the Northwestern Customs Department said.

Customs posts at Torfyanovka and Vyartsilya are working normally, it said.

In November, the Finnish government decided to close passenger checkpoints at the eastern border because of an influx of migrants from third countries allegedly organized by Russia.