13 January 2003 00:00
ALEXANDER YAKOVENKO, THE OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN OF RUSSIA'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ANSWERS RUSSIAN MEDIA QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COURSE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT STATEMENT OF THE RUSSIA-EU SUMMIT ON TRANSIT BETWEEN THE KALININGRAD REGION AND OTHER PARTS OF RUSSIA
Question: How is the new intergovernmental Russian-Lithuanian agreement being implemented in the context of the joint statement of the Russia-EU summit on transit between the Kaliningrad Region and other parts of Russia?
Answer: As is known, work is currently being carried out on the implementation of the joint statement of the Russia-EU summit (Brussels, November 11, 2002) on transit between the Kaliningrad Region and the rest of the territory of the Russian Federation.
In particular, on December 30, 2002, in Moscow, a new Russian-Lithuanian intergovernmental agreement on mutual trips of citizens was signed that regulates the entry, exist and stay of citizens of the two countries in the territories of each other. The question has been agreed upon of preserving until July 1, 2003, the hitherto existing procedure for border crossing by citizens of the Russian Federation permanently resident in the Kaliningrad Region and, accordingly, the rules for entry, exit and stay on the territory of the Kaliningrad Region for citizens of Lithuania. Consent has been given to enlarging the Consulate General of Lithuania in Kaliningrad and to opening a new Lithuanian consulate in Sovetsk, Kaliningrad region. The consent of the Lithuanian side has been received to opening a Russian consular agency in Kaunas.
Simultaneously agreement was reached on the start of Russia-EU negotiations for the conclusion of an agreement on readmission (January 23, 2003). The date is being arranged for the start of negotiations on the conclusion of a similar agreement between Russia and Lithuania.
Question: What kind of procedure will there be for control of the transit of Russian citizens through Lithuania?
Answer: It is borne in mind to continue bilateral Russian-Lithuanian consultations on the form and scheme for the issuance of a Facilitated Rail Transit Document, on the basis of which the transit of Russian citizens to and from the Kaliningrad Region through the territory of Lithuania will be effected after July 1, 2003.
At the same time the Lithuanian side informed us of the introduction from the beginning of the current year of a temporary procedure of control of the citizens of the Russian Federation traveling in transit on trains through the territory of the Republic of Lithuania to the Kaliningrad Region and back. From January 1, 2003, a check of incoming and outgoing transit trains is to be conducted, as well as of the personal documents of the Russian citizens traveling in them, which seems to be in accord with the understanding reached in Brussels.
Question: Are there any outstanding issues?
Answer: I must say that along with the above, from February 1, 2003, there are to be excluded from the list of the currently operative travel documents valid for transit through Lithuania the identity certificates of servicemen and the birth certificates for children under 14 who travel on their own. It is planned that directly in the train transit Russian passengers will fill out a transit travel form envisaging a minimal amount of information on the passenger: surname, name, date of birth, passport number.
Also from February 1, 2003, the Lithuanian side is going to start affixing appropriate stamps to all the types of Russian travel documents, including the internal passports of citizens of Russia.
In a word, it is perfectly clear that a number of proposed innovations go beyond the scope of the existing accords, and on individual items they come into conflict with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has notified the Lithuanian side of this and simultaneously suggested holding bilateral consultations with Lithuania in the coming days already on the entire range of the above issues.
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