Parliamentary Unity Faction To Insist On Greater Controls On Russia's Borders With Some Cis Countries

The Unity faction in the State Duma of Russia plans to draw up legislative acts on intensifying border controls with Central Asian countries, Vladislav Reznik, deputy head of the Unity faction in the lower house of the Russian parliament, said in a statement. The leadership of the Unity faction on Wednesday afternoon returned from the Tajik-Afghan border where it familiarized itself with the situation in that area. Frants Klintsevich, first deputy head of the Unity faction, said that "the leadership of Tajikistan takes a formal view of such problems as the passport regime". According to him, during the trip members of the Unity faction got convinced that in Tajikistan citizens of Afghanistan can buy for 100 dollars a Tajik passport which is also valid in Russia. In view of this, in the opinion of the Unity faction leadership, it is necessary to take prompt measures and in particular to exchange as soon as possible the passports of the former USSR for Russian ones, because this will help establish stricter controls over movements of foreign nationals across Russia. Reznik emphasised that in many countries, particularly the US, even the existence of a visa does not guarantee permission to enter the country. "Such a possibility should be granted to us as well," he indicated. But, Reznik stressed, this calls for legislative regulation.