MOSCOW, December 10 /TASS/. The customs and veterinary services of Russia and Belarus are drafting joint transit rules to create conditions for safe transit of goods via Russia by honest market players, Sergey Rumas, a member of the presidium of the Council of Ministers of Belarus, told journalists.
Rumas represents Belarus at the Council of Eurasian Economic Commission.
“Today, we have issued instructions to the customs bodies and veterinary services to approve rules and regulations for interaction so that not to harm honest market players and Belarusian haulers who start suffering losses because goods are being sent via other routes,” Rumas went on to say.
Touching upon illegal exports of sanctioned goods via Belarus to Russia, Rumas said that the Eurasian Economic Commission Council noted at its meeting on Wednesday that there were no claims to the Belarusian side and that it was honestly meeting its commitments. At the same time, it was noted that separate dishonest companies in Russia and Belarus were trying to bring illegal sanctioned goods into Russia by pointing Kazakhstan and other countries as the final place of destination in the waybill.
“In short, the existing legal framework was unprepared for such development of events,” Rumas said.
He added that Belarus had decided to join the agreements between Russia and Kazakhstan and exchange information on haulers of transit cargoes within a week.
“We agreed that the three of us would adopt lists of honest participants in the foreign economic activities who will receive these transit goods. The sides will also agree on a list of carriers who will make these deliveries,” Rumas said.
He explained that the measure would help excluding those who want to earn an easy buck on sanctions-related problems.