GRODNO, 26 October (BelTA) – An idea has been put forward to extend the agreement on visa-free travel to the tourism and recreation park Augustow Canal to include rail and air service passengers, including those traveling by the Krakow-Grodno train. The authorities of Belarus' Grodno Oblast and Poland's Podlaskie Voivodeship discussed the idea at a meeting at the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee on 26 October, BelTA has learned.
Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee Vladimir Kravtsov believes that the Belarusian region should work to develop the visa-free regime and relax the border crossing rules not only for tourists coming to Belarus through three border checkpoints, but also for those who arrive by train and by air. “We are considering the possibility of launching low-cost flights to Grodno Airport. Tourists can also come to Belarus by train. Once we gain some experience in this area, we will consider further steps,” Vladimir Kravtsov noted.
Jerzy Leszczynski, Marshal of Podlaskie Voivodeship, put forward the idea to extend the visa-free travel agreement to include the rail service between Krakow Grodno that was launched in September 2016. He also voiced his support for the idea regarding the air service. “This airport, if included in the visa-free area, will gain popularity due to its convenient location. This is the nearest airport for the residents of Podlaskie Voivodeship,” he noted.
The parties also expressed their intent to develop the bus service between Poland and Grodno Oblast. The Lesnaya-Rudawka and Sofiyevo-Lipchany border checkpoints may start to service buses with tourists in the future.
Members of the Polish delegation led by Jerzy Leszczynski, Marshal of Podlaskie Voivodeship, were the first tourists to enter Belarus' Grodno Oblast visa-free on 26 October. They studied the potential of the Belarusian part of the Augustow Canal, visited two border checkpoints and attended a ceremony to launch the tourist information center of Podlaskie Voivodeship in Grodno.
