Finland finally closes two checkpoints on the border with Russia
Kyiv • UNN
The Finnish Border Guard has closed the temporary crossing points Inari and Parikkala on the border with Russia. The decision was made jointly with the Russian side.
The Finnish Border Guard Service has closed the temporary border crossing points in the Lieksa district of Inari and Parikkala and is removing signs. This is reported by Yle with reference to the country's border service, reports UNN.
Details
Traffic through both temporary border crossing points has been blocked for a long time. At Inari and Parikkala, traffic was closed from November 1, 2021 and April 19, 2022, respectively, due to restrictions on the export of Russian timber.
The decision to close the temporary checkpoints was made unanimously by the head of the Finnish Border Guard and the head of the Russian Border Guard.
Now Finland will have to amend the government's resolution on border crossing points to remove the Parikkala and Inari checkpoints.
Border guards should remove signs indicating the place of border crossing.
As noted, the resumption of the checkpoint in the future is possible in accordance with the agreement on checkpoints between Finland and Russia.
It is also stated that the closure of temporary checkpoints is not considered a violation of the agreement on checkpoints between Finland and Russia. According to the agreement, the number of temporary checkpoints for citizens and vehicles of both countries at any given time is sufficient to ensure cooperation, timber transportation and other economic activities in the border regions, the Border Guard Service said in a press release.
