MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. Russia can greenlight the transit of goods from the European Union, including ones covered by sanctions, but only if a system for their complete traceability is established, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said on Friday.
"If a system of complete traceability is provided for the arrangement, then we will be capable of supporting its transit for participants in the foreign economic activity. Goods from Ukraine, from nations of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Economic Union will be capable of freely passing across Russian territory, without any complications, but on condition of complete traceability," the official said.
The ban on transit is linked to the prohibition of a whole range of goods under counter-sanctions, Shuvalov noted. "Nevertheless, I suggest that our EAEU partners and we negotiate a new transit procedure as quickly as possible," he added.
Shuvalov offered to provide the complete traceability mechanism for goods imported into the EAEU from outside at the initial stage and provide the traceability mechanism for goods made in one of EAEU member-states and "pass through to another EAEU country for consumption" within six months after that.
However, Russia has not yet succeeded in creating a common customs space among the EAEU countries. "I cannot say that we have created a common economic space and the common customs space in the EAEU in terms of customs administration. Not so. We need to promptly achieve transparency on external crossing points with EAEU member-countries, with provision of mutual access to such information," Shuvalov said, adding that the EAEU space should be united by a common transparency system.