Norway and Russia in early 2007 agreed about the extension of the opening hours at the only border pass between the countries. In June, the Norwegian side announced their readiness to implement the change, the Norwegian government website reports.
Since then however, the issue has remained stranded on the Russian side.
According to Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre, the issue has been addressed regularly by the Norwegian diplomacy.
Russia argues that pressure on other border passes, among them on the border to Finland, is far more serious than on the Storskog/Borisgleb pass. The country also argues that it will need a special bilateral agreement on the issue, and has promised to elaborate a draft deal.
When asked about the issue in the Norwegian parliament, the Storting, today, Minister Støre confirmed that the issue will be on the agenda when he meets with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Kirkenes and Murmansk on the 9-10 June this year.
The Storskog border pass (Barentsphoto.com)
