MOSCOW: Belarus and the European Union (EU) pledged to enhance customs cooperation to counter Russian customs Union.
State Customs Committee’s Chairman, Yuri Senko, met with Maira Mora, head of the European Union’s representative office in Belarus. The purpose of this meeting was focused on cooperation in customs affairs.
During the meeting the sides discussed matters concerning the implementation of current projects outlined by the European Union’s transboundary cooperation programs and initiatives of the State Customs Committee of Belarus with a view to taking part in new programs and projects of the European Union.
The European Union has allocated about €40 million to Belarus as investments to improve the country’s customs infrastructure as part of international technical aid. The money has been used to reconstruct the border checkpoint Kammenyi Log where five mobile inspection complexes are now deployed. The money has also been used to build and equip the cargo terminal Kozlovichi 2 in the border area, explained the press service of the State Customs Committee of Belarus.
On 27 March in accordance with the grant contracts signed with the European Union the inspection complexes at the border checkpoints Privalka and Grigorovshchina were solemnly unveiled. A similar complex will become operational at the border checkpoint Bruzgi by the end of 2015.
Belarus’ Customs is now busy reconstructing the border checkpoint Peschatka at the Belarusian-Polish border. The share of European funding exceeds €10.9 million. The project is being implemented as part of the Poland-Belarus-Ukraine transboundary cooperation program of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). It is the most expensive project on the list of large-scale projects, which are being implemented at the moment, stressed the source.
The project to provide assistance with creating a system that will enable advance electronic presentation of cargo information between the customs services of Belarus and Ukraine is in the final phase. It is financed by the European Union, with the budget close to €4 million.
