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Kaliningrad Region's residents able to cross Russia-Poland's border without passports

Residents of the Kaliningrad region will be able to cross the Russian-Polish border without showing a passport

WARSAW, February 27 (Itar-Tass) — Residents of the Kaliningrad region will be able to cross the Russian-Polish border without showing a passport, the Polish Border Guard told Itar-Tass on Monday.

“A special information system has been prepared to get access for travellers. They system will control the stay of signatories to the agreement on local cross-border movement,” the spokeswoman for the Polish Border Guard said.

“This is a very important instrument because Russian signatories to the agreement will not show passports when crossing the border. It is enough to present a permit – a special plastic card with the high protection level,” she added.

At the same time, the spokeswoman stressed that the parties should ratify the agreement to make it to come into effect. The Polish parliament is now working hard to complete the procedure, she said, adding that the agreement was expected to enter into force on May 1, 2012.

The Polish Border Guard “is preparing for the practical implementation of the agreement. The Warmii-Mazur Province border guards underwent special training,” she said.

The agreement on local border-cross movement was signed by the Russian and Polish governments on December 14, 2011. Apart from the Mazuri Province, the agreement will also include Gdynia, Gdansk, Sopot and Malbork.