EU to Spend EUR 5 Million on Kaliningrad Transit Database

The European Union has allocated EUR 25 million to the Kaliningrad Region to help solve its social problems. According to Rosbalt's correspondent, this was confirmed today by Nikolai Tulaev, the Kaliningrad Region's representative in the Federation Council, at a press conference in the regional parliament.

'Most of the funds will reach the region as part of the Tacis technical support programme,' said the senator. 'The regional administration has striven to include in the financing those social issues that relate to the programme: the fight against AIDS, drug addiction, and tuberculosis.'

Tulaev also said that of the EUR 25 million, EUR 5 million would be spent on creating a database for transit through Lithuania, if Russia makes an equivalent contribution. The database would allow Russian passengers intending to travel across Lithuania to be identified within a matter of seconds, and the information could then be given to Lithuania. According to Tulaev, the Russian government is ready to spend about USD 3-4 million on resolving this problem.