The Grigorovshchina border crossing on the Belarusian-Latvian border will double its throughput

April 27, Minsk /BELTA/. The "Grigorovshchina" border crossing point on the Belarusian-Latvian border will double its throughput by 2014. This was announced today by the Head of the Legal Department of the State Customs Committee of Belarus, Alexander Adereiko, at a meeting of the customs services of Belarus and Latvia, a BELTA correspondent reports. During the introductory meeting of representatives of the State Customs Committee of Belarus and the State Revenue Service of Latvia, the parties discussed the implementation of the project for the construction and equipment of this border crossing point, which involves the introduction of non-intrusive (without opening) inspection technology. The European Union has allocated 2.5 million euros for this project. As Alexander Adereiko noted, part of the funds has already been received into a special account of the State Customs Committee of Belarus - 786 thousand euros. The Deputy Head of the Customs Control Organization Department of the State Revenue Service of Latvia, Girts Pilans, noted that the implementation of this project will allow for effective and rapid border control, speed up traffic flows, and enhance the fight against smuggling. Alexander Adereiko also emphasized the great significance of this project, which will reduce queues at the border, strengthen the fight against customs offenses, and positively impact the environmental situation in the region. The "Grigorovshchina" border crossing point was not chosen for development by chance. The ninth Pan-European transport corridor Helsinki-St. Petersburg-Vitebsk-Gomel-Kyiv-Alexandroupolis (Greece) passes through it, as well as through the adjacent border crossing point on the Latvian side - "Paternieki". The transit traffic flow through this corridor is increasing daily and requires significant improvement of customs infrastructure. Currently, about 270 vehicles pass through the "Grigorovshchina" border crossing point per day. With the introduction of the inspection and screening complex and after the general reconstruction, the throughput will increase to 600 vehicles per day. Currently, general reconstruction is underway at the "Grigorovshchina" border crossing point, which will last until the autumn of 2012. Along with this, a facility will be built to house the inspection and screening complex, consisting of an X-ray scanning system and a protective structure for it. It will be completed in 27 months. The Belarusian and Latvian sides are interested in the early commissioning of the facility. The project is being implemented under the Latvia-Lithuania-Belarus cross-border cooperation program, carried out within the framework of the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument. Regions of Latvia, Lithuania, and Belarus - Vitebsk, Grodno, Mogilev, Minsk regions, and the city of Minsk - are participating in the program. The joint program management body is the Ministry of the Interior of Lithuania. The total budget of the project is 2.777 million euros. Of this amount, up to 2.5 million euros from the European Union funds will be allocated for the implementation of this project, covering 90% of all project costs. A similar project, also costing 2.5 million euros, has begun to be implemented on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border at the "Privalka" border crossing point. -0-