BORDERS BETWEEN CIS COUNTRIES TO STRENGTHEN

Border control between Russia and Ukraine is tightening up, and the corresponding work, now under way, is to be completed by July-August 2001, colonel-general Boris Alekseyenko, Ukraine’s frontier guarding chief, says. In the colonel-general’s words, over 60 frontier posts are to be built along the Russia-Ukraine border, the density of their placement being increased from 70km-90km to 20km by year end. Those steps are being endorsed by Russia’s boarder guarding administration and are, first of all, designed to fight illegal migration. Similar work on strengthening Russia’s border with the Republic of Moldova is said to be completed by May 2001. The colonel-general refutes information of US Congress allocating $40mn for CIS countries to strengthen internal borders. However, he confirmes information of Germany allocating a certain amount for strengthening the Ukraine-Russia border, RBC news agency reports.