News

On 6 April a meeting was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the purpose of which was to discuss current situation of Latvian-Russian border traffic capacity.

The participants of the meeting from the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport and Communications and Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association “Linava” discussed the current situation, its possible development, ways of solution and an impact on the activities of Lithuanian transport and logistics companies.

During the meeting a statement was made that limitations on free movement of goods and services in the internal market of the European Union is an ultimately unacceptable measure for tackling the problem of external EU border traffic capacity. The participants also exchanged opinions on possible actions of Lithuania, in case of recurrence of the situation of November 2006, when Lithuanian-Latvian border traffic capacity was limited artificially.

Lithuania is interested in increasing the EU and Russia’s trade turnover and is prepared to enhance as well as to adjust the country’s infrastructure to ensure goods transit via Lithuanian territory. However, Lithuania and other interested countries are concerned about the infrastructure situation at the EU-Russian border. Therefore, Lithuania entirely supports the endeavour of Latvia and the EU to enhance traffic capacity of the EU-Russian border (Latvian-Russian) and  develop the infrastructure.

According to the data of the State Border Guard Service of Latvia, this week the average number of vehicles waiting to enter Russia is 1,200 at Terechov border post and 550 at Grebnev border post.

In November 2006 due to the queues at the Latvian-Russian border, a state of emergency was declared in Latvian region of Ludza and Latvian officials limited the entry of trucks into Latvian territory at all the main border crossing posts without an early warning.