Small-scale border traffic permits granted to over 4,400 residents of Latvia

VITEBSK, 15 May (BelTA) - More than 4,400 citizens of Latvia, residents of frontier regions, have been granted small-scale border traffic permits, the deputy chairman of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee Oleg Matskevich told a news briefing. In accordance with the agreement between the Governments of Belarus and Latvia on small-scale border traffic as of 23 August 2010, on 1 February this year the consular authorities began accepting documents for small-scale border traffic permits. Originally the lists included about 200 people on the part of Belarus and about 4,000 Latvian residents. As of 1 May, when the new lists were filed with the consulates, they included 1,000 and 5,000 respectively, according to Oleg Matskevich. According to him, from more than 4,000 Latvian citizens who applied for small-scale border traffic, only three persons were denied as they had prior criminal records. “This attests to the good-neighborly relations between our states and cordial, constructive contacts,” he stressed. Although family connections are the main reason for the issue of permits (they account for nearly 70%), business trips make its solid presence in the small-scale border traffic, too. Active business operations are performed in Verkhnedvinsk and Braslav Districts which are largely facilitated thanks to the local border agreement. Permits may be obtained to visit relatives, participate in cultural, educational, scientific and sports events held by state organizations of Belarus and Latvia, visit burial places of relatives, receive medical aid, develop business contacts, etc. The permit will be valid from one to five years and will cost ?20. Pensioners, disabled persons and children under 18 may be exempted from the fee on a reciprocal basis. The agreement envisages the list of administrative and territorial units on the territory of each Party that make part of the border area located not farther than 30km away from the Belarus-Latvia border. If some part of such unit is located in the zone from 30 to 50km from the border, such unit is also considered a part of the border area.

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