Belarusian-Latvian border: hundreds of trucks forced to idle to enter the European Union

Hundreds of trucks on the Belarusian-Latvian border are forced to stand idle at the entrance to the European Union. Border crossings are overloaded in all directions.

Latvian control services at the checkpoint “Paternieki” clear no more than 40% of the norm for heavy trucks per day. The carriers complain about the negligent attitude of the European side.

Denis Glebko, official representative of the Polotsk border guard detachment:

“The Republic of Latvia does not fulfill the previously reached agreements. According to these agreements, not less than 200 trucks should be cleared every day. However, on average they clear from 30 to 40%. They are demonstratively doing their work very slowly. Drivers have complained more than once. They compare the work of the Belarusian side and, having entered the territory of Latvia, they see that the documents are checked for a very long time. Many customs officers and border guards do not go to the car artificially.

And if on the territory of Belarus the drivers' stay is facilitated by an electronic queue, then there is no such system on the Latvian side. People also complain about the lack of elementary infrastructure in the European border region.