MINSK, 20 September (BelTA) – Representatives of the Belarusian and Russian internal affairs ministries met in Smolensk to discuss cross-border cooperation, representatives of the Belarusian Internal Affairs Ministry told BelTA.
The Russian delegation was led by First Deputy Chief of the Central Office for Migration Affairs of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry, Police Major-General Andrei Krayushkin. The Belarusian delegation was represented by First Deputy Chief of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Belarusian Internal Affairs Ministry Vitaly Naumchik as well as chiefs of citizenship and migration offices of the Vitebsk Oblast Police Department, the Gomel Oblast Police Department, and the Mogilev Oblast Police Department.
Opening the meeting, Andrei Krayushkin noted that such meetings have been held for the last few years and produce good results. Nevertheless, it is important to continue improving cooperation in counteracting illegal migration. Participants of the meeting discussed cross-border cooperation for the sake of improving the effectiveness of control over the presence of third-country citizens in the Union State of Belarus and Russia.
The sides discussed the migration situation, exchanged information about changes in migration laws, and sketched out prospects of further cooperation between territorial bodies of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry and citizenship and migration units of the Belarusian Internal Affairs Ministry in near-border areas in the course of preparing for and carrying joint operations and preventive measures.
