Leonid Kalashnikov
The misunderstanding between Russia and Belarus, resulting from the creation of the border zone, will be addressed at the highest level in the near future, said the head of the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots Leonid Kalashnikov. This opinion he expressed in “the parliamentary newspaper” on Friday, February 3.
“I would suggest not to rush the enemies of the Russian-Belarusian Union, who today rejoice. He [Belarussian President Alexander] Lukashenko is the initiator of this Union, and it is unlikely that he will destroy what so painstakingly created by the two countries”, — said the Deputy. He is confident that the current differences — the short quarrel between the States.
He stressed that the visa-free regime for foreigners in Belarus is a threat to Russia’s security. “Any attacker could easily travel to Belarus and five hours to be in Moscow,” — said Kalashnikov.
However, he “for the sake of justice” noted that the Russian security services failed to notify a neighboring state to create a border zone. This could be explained by some intelligence suggested the MP.
Earlier on Friday, Lukashenko said that Russia had violated the interstate agreement, setting the border zone on the border with Belarus. The Kremlin said that the decision “is carefully coordinated for compliance with all international treaties.”
1 February it became known that the FSB ordered to enter the border zone regime along the Russian-Belarusian border. On February 12 in Belarus will come into force a decree on a five-day visa-free regime for citizens of 80 countries crossing the state border at the airport of Minsk. Because the border between Russia and Belarus exists formally and in practice it can easily cross without any inspections, citizens of third countries were able to enter the Russian territory without going through the necessary procedures.