MOSCOW, June 26 Belarus and Russia have agreed that in 2024 they will start implementing a four-stage plan to liberalize international road transport to third countries, said in a first interview in the post of Ambassador of Belarus to Russia Dmitry Krutoy.
«The topic of the transport agreement is a permit-free system for the transit of our goods to third countries. Between Belarus and Russia, all these permits (for road transport of goods — ed.) have been canceled. With third countries — not yet. As a result of lengthy discussions and debates, an agreement was reached that there will be a four-stage system has been implemented,» the ambassador said.
He clarified that «from January 1, 2024, these permits will be canceled with Serbia and the Balkan countries, from 2025 — within all CIS countries, from 2026 — with all EU countries and the UK, and from 2030 — with all countries in general. «. “Unfortunately, today this licensing system looks like a huge anachronism and negatively affects the work of our road carriers in Russia and Belarus under the sanctions,” the diplomat stressed.
He also drew attention to the discussion on the issue of permission for Belarusian road carriers to carry out cabotage transportation in Russia. «Cabotage is another difficult topic that has been discussed for many years. The first is investment cabotage. This is the transportation of construction materials and materials as part of the implementation of investment projects in the two countries. Investment cabotage will be allowed immediately, literally from the moment the agreement is signed. This also applies to new territories of the Russian Federation, work as part of their restoration, transportation of goods. Cabotage will also be allowed there,» Krutoy continued.
He added that «now, according to the law of the Russian Federation, the date for the abolition of cabotage is March 1, 2025.» “I would very much like at least one cabotage transportation with the main regions of Russia to be allowed from the middle of next year. But the final decision is up to our regulators, the ministers,” Krutoy stressed.
Belarusian Minister of Transport and Communications Aleksey Avramenko reported in March that Minsk and Moscow could sign agreements in the first half of 2023 on a phased transition to permit-free road transport and on equalizing air fares. He explained that these are the two issues in the transport sector regarding the working conditions of aviation and road carriers, which Minsk and Moscow must resolve in 2023 as part of the union's integration programs.