PM: Belarus, Russia have come to terms on cabotage transportation

MOSCOW, 27 March (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia have found a solution to the issue of cabotage transportation, Belarus' Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko told journalists following his talks with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and the meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State in Moscow on 27 March, BelTA has learned.

Roman Golovchenko noted that in line with Russia's legislation, Belarusian companies cannot carry out cabotage transportation on the territory of the Russian Federation. “Yet, this matter is of fundamental importance for us. At the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Belarus the president had demanded that this problem should be resolved,” the prime minister stressed. “In principle, we have reached an understanding with Russian partners on how this could be done. The only thing that we have not agreed on yet is when this decision will come into force. We insist that this should be done as soon as possible, while Russian colleagues keep suggesting a slightly later date. However, while at the end of last year we did not even understand how this would work, now we do. We continue discussing the time when this decision should enter into force,” the prime minister emphasized.

Roman Golovchenko also said that the parties managed to come to terms on tariffs for air navigation services. “The same applies to tariffs for air navigation services. We will have to align tariffs for Russian air carriers and the national airline Belavia. We have reached an agreement in principle, now we are discussing the timing of the enforcement of this decision. This will reduce costs and tariffs for Belavia, hence, better opportunities to operate flights to Russian regions,” the prime minister said.