Belarus to share data with Russia on citizens with restrictions on travel

MINSK (BelTA) – Belarus has completed its domestic procedures to ratify the Belarusian-Russian intergovernmental agreement on the order of sharing information regarding the citizens of Belarus and Russia who have a restricted right to leave the country in line with the legislations of the two countries. The agreement was officially published on the National Legal Internet Portal on 17 November, BelTA has learned.

Under the document, the parties share data on the citizens of the two states, who are restricted from leaving the country in line with the legislation of the state of their citizenship and/or the state of the current stay. According to the agreement, such data sharing is necessary to prevent the citizens of Belarus and Russia with restrictions on leaving the country to travel to third countries as well as to prevent any threats to the national and public security of the Union State.

The agreement between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of the Republic of Belarus on the order of sharing information regarding the citizens of Belarus and Russia who have a restricted right to leave the country was signed in Moscow on 3 March 2015. The agreement was ratified in the State Duma of Russia on 23 October and the Council of the Federation on 28 October. On 3 November the law on the ratification of the agreement was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Interior Ministry of Belarus and the Federal Migration Service of Russia will be responsible for the implementation of the agreement. The bodies will determine the order of sharing information in an additional protocol within 90 days after the agreement comes into force. The agreement takes effect on the day the parties receive written notes on the completion of interstate procedures necessary for the document to be enacted.

Apart from that, Belarus also completed its domestic procedures to ratify the protocol to introduce amendments to the Belarusian-Russian agreement on securing equal rights of citizens of Belarus and Russia in the freedom of movement, the choice of the place of residence on the territory of the two countries.

Under the document, traveling from third countries to the state of their citizenship Belarusian and Russian citizens may enter the territory of the other state (i.e. Russians may enter Belarus and vice versa) and leave it using the documents which period of validity is expired only on a single occasion. This matter pertains to common civil, diplomatic and service passports.

Another novelty is that the citizens of one state when arriving in the other state are exempted from the registration in the competent bodies within 90 days from the entry date.

“The protocol is subject to ratification and enters force on the date of the exchange of the ratification instruments,” the document says.