By Darya Kurilova
According to the Chairman of the State Customs Service of Ukraine, Igor Kaletnik, the facilitated border crossing procedure may stay in place even after Euro-2012.
The State Customs Committee of Belarus, the Federal Customs Service of Russia and the State Customs Service of Ukraine have signed a trilateral memorandum of intent to co-operate during the 2012 European Football Championships in Vitebsk. The document envisages simplification of customs procedures to allow people and commodities to cross the border more easily during the football event. ‘Green corridors’ are planned, while the working hours of all border checkpoints are to be synchronised. In addition, law enforcement actions have been agreed.
“If this pilot project yields good results, its duration may be extended beyond Euro-2012,” Mr. Kaletnik notes.
The memorandum clearly lays down measures required of customs services, with all personnel being placed on duty. “This will be a trail run for the upcoming 2014 IIHF World Championships. Similar agreements are to be signed with our neighbours on the eve of the event,” explains the Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Belarus, Alexander Shpilevsky.
A session of the United Board of the Customs Services of Customs Union members (Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan) has also taken place in Vitebsk, with Ukraine in attendance as an observer.
