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Lavrov: "No full-fledged border between Russia and Belarus will be created after pandemic"

21 April 2020 19:58 (UTC +04:00)

Moscow sees no grounds for separating the Union State of Russia and Belarus by a full-fledged border after the coronavirus pandemic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a video conference with the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund’s delegates on Tuesday, APA reports citing TASS.

"I believe we see no grounds for introducing the border regime. We want the Union State to develop in full compliance with those principles, goals and directions outlined in the 1999 Union Treaty," Lavrov said answering a question whether a full-fledged control on the border between the countries could be established after overcoming the coronavirus threat.

The top diplomat expressed hope that Russia and Belarus could finally sign an agreement on a single visa policy, which was initialed in December 2018. "I believe that the signing of this treaty in many respects will alleviate those concerns and remove the reasons for those who seek to create a fully equipped border between our countries, the members of the Union State," Lavrov noted.

Lavrov stressed that the Russian Foreign Ministry was vested with the power to sign this treaty a year and a half ago and expected a signal about the Belarusian side’s readiness. "I think our Belarusian colleagues will soon tell us about their position and confirm their readiness to sign what was initialed a year and a half ago," he said. "A solution to the problem was ready a year and a half ago and we have the power to sign it. We hope that my Belarusian colleagues still have these powers."

The intergovernmental agreement between Belarus and Russia on the mutual recognition of visas was initially expected to be signed in December 2018 in Brest at a session of the Union State’s Ministerial Council. However, the document was not signed. Belarus explained this by the need to carry out intergovernmental procedures before inking it. The document stipulates that foreign citizens with a Belarusian visa may freely enter Russia, while foreigners with a Russian visa will be able to visit Belarus.