VITEBSK, 15 March (BelTA) – “Green corridors” will be in place between Belarus, Russia and Ukraine for the duration of the Euro 2012 sports event. According to the Ukrainian customs service, the facilitated border crossing procedure may stay in place after Euro 2012, Chairman of the State Customs Service of Ukraine Igor Kaletnik told a press conference on 15 March. The customs services of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine signed a trilateral memorandum of intent to cooperate during the 2012 European football championship in Vitebsk on 15 March. The document provides for easier transition of people and commodities across borders for the duration of the football event. In particular, “green corridors” will be deployed and working hours of border checkpoints will be synchronized. If the pilot project produces quality results, its duration may be extended past Euro 2012, said Igor Kaletnik. The memorandum clearly lays down the measures the customs services will have to take. All the personnel will be put on duty. “For us it will also be a training session for the upcoming 2014 ice hockey championship. Similar agreements will be signed with our neighbors on the eve of the championship,” said Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Belarus (SCC) Alexander Shpilevsky. A session of the united board of the customs services of the member states of the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan took place in Vitebsk on 15 March. Ukraine attended the event as an observer.

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