The Consulate of Latvia in Vitebsk is ready to accept documents for the issuance of local border traffic permits.

31 January, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The Consulate of the Republic of Latvia in Vitebsk is ready to accept documents for the issuance of permits for local border traffic for residents of border areas of Belarus. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the head of the Latvian Consulate in Vitebsk, Dagnija Lace-Ate. In accordance with the agreement between the governments of Belarus and Latvia on a simplified procedure for mutual travel of residents of border areas, dated 23 August 2010, consular institutions will begin accepting documents for the issuance of permits from 1 February of the current year. The Consulate of Latvia in Vitebsk has already received lists of residents of the border areas of the Vitebsk region who wish to take advantage of the local border traffic opportunity. The lists were compiled by local rural, settlement, and city executive committees based on citizens' applications. From the Belarusian side, they include about 200 people, and from the Latvian side - approximately 4,000 people. As Dagnija Lace-Ate explained, the Latvian list is larger because the territory whose residents can use the right of simplified border crossing includes large cities such as Daugavpils and Krāslava. It is worth noting that these lists are not final. Citizens can submit applications as needed, and the lists will be updated every three months. The next one will be formed by 1 April, and the consulate will begin accepting applications for permits based on the updated lists from 1 May, Dagnija Lace-Ate added. The grounds for issuing a permit may include visiting relatives, organising or participating in cultural, educational, scientific, and sports events held by the authorities and institutions of Belarus and Latvia, owning real estate, visiting relatives' burial sites, receiving medical care, participating in events related to local traditions and religious rites, and regular business contacts. To obtain a permit, it is necessary to present a passport to the consulate. The requirements for the passport are the same as for issuing visas: it must not be older than ten years, be valid for at least three months after the expiry of the permit, and an application form for the permit. It can be filled out directly at the consulate, or it can be printed from the website http://www.mfa.gov.lv/by/belarus/konsulate/ and submitted already completed.

The Agreement on the simplified procedure for mutual travel of residents of the border territories of Belarus and Latvia provides for a simplified procedure for crossing the state border by residents of border territories who permanently reside in these territories for at least one year, regardless of their citizenship, provided they have a permit for local border movement issued by the competent authority of the other party, and a travel document (passport or other document provided for by law).

The permit will be issued for a period of 1 to 5 years. The fee for accepting and considering an application for a permit is set at 20 euros. Pensioners, disabled persons, and children under 18 years of age may be exempted from paying the fee on a reciprocal basis.

A list of administrative-territorial units within the territory of each party is also established, defining the border territory adjacent to the Belarusian-Latvian border and located within a zone of no more than 30 km from it. If part of such an entity is located in the zone from 30 to 50 km from the border, then this entity is also considered part of the border territory. In accordance with the list, the following are classified as border territories: Bigosovsky, Chapayevsky, Saryansky, Osvyaysky, Kokhanovichsky, Belkovshchinsky rural councils of Verkhnedvinsky district, the town of Verkhnedvinsk; Povyatsky, Perebrodsky, Dolginovsky, Miorsky, Novopogostsky, Turkovsky rural councils of Miorsky district, the town of Miory; Druyevsky, Plyussky, Slobodkovsky, Opsovsky, Dalekovsky, Akhremovsky, Mezhanovsky, Teterkovsky, Vydzivsky rural councils of Braslavsky district, the town of Braslav, the settlement of Vydzy.

Residents of the border territories of one party, using a local border movement permit, are obliged to comply with the legislation of the other state during their stay in its territory. Thus, they cannot travel beyond the border territory, and residents of the border territories of Latvia must register in the prescribed manner during their stay in the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

From the date of entry into force of the Agreement, the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the Republic of Latvia on the simplified procedure for issuing visas to border populations dated November 27, 2002, shall cease to be effective. However, visas issued in accordance with the Agreement of November 27, 2002, may be used until the expiry of their stated validity period.-0-

BELTA