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Customs controls at the Belarusian-Russian border will be tightened if Minsk fails to join Moscow’s Customs Union with Astana, Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Surikov said at a news conference held in Minsk on June 11, as quoted by BelaPAN.
The Customs Union border would run along the external borders of Russia and Kazakhstan “with all ensuring consequences,” the ambassador warned. "Everybody understands what difficulties would arise at the border in respect to veterinary, sanitary, customs and other controls,” he said.
In late May, Russia and Kazakhstan agreed to launch their Customs Union on July 1 on a bilateral basis without Belarus after negotiations stalled as Moscow refused to abolish its export duty on crude oil that it sells to Minsk.