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Russia offers to ease border regulations with Latvia

The Russian Foreign Ministry is offering to make amendments to the intergovernmental agreement with Latvia on simplifying mutual visits of residents of border territories

© Vitaliy Nevar/TASS

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MOSCOW, September 19. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry is offering to make amendments to the intergovernmental agreement with Latvia on simplifying mutual visits of residents of border territories, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov stated during Wednesday’s session of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs.

"The amendments developed for the 2010 agreement include lifting restrictions on the citizens’ total length of stay on adjacent border territories. Currently the total length of stay for all foreigners is 90 days out of 180. In this case, we will remove the length of stay on border territories within a year, and cease to stamp passports during border control," the deputy minister noted.

"People travel often, sometimes several times of week, and there are constant stamps. Objectively, in three-four months, the passports would be completely stamped through and would be in need of replacement. This would present significant difficulties for citizens," he explained.

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