Russia to scale back width of restricted zone on Finnish border

Border zone widened late last year

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Russia plans to significantly narrow the restricted zone that it has along the Finnish border. Last year the Russian security service FSB extended the zone considerably. However, the areas affected were allowed to make proposals for changes.
      In the region of the Republic of Karelia, the border zone will be narrowed to 15 kilometres. After last year's extension, the zone reached areas as far as 130 kilometres east of the Finnish border.
      FSB director Nikolai Patrushev issued a new decree on Saturday excluding a number of areas from the restricted zone.
      The new border zone will be just a third of what it was in the Republic of Karelia.
     
Last year's decision to expand the restricted zone on all of Russia's borders was a cause for concern in many of the areas affected. In Karelia it was feared that the move would hurt business, transport, and tourism. Finnish tour operators were also concerned.
     
The border zone is also to be scaled back in the Murmansk area.
      "The FSB has approved of our proposal for cutting back on the zone, and the decree is currently with the Ministry of Justice for comments", says Tatyana Kulikova of the regional administration of Murmansk.
      In the Murmansk area, the width of the new border zone will mainly be 15 kilometres.
      There is no information yet on the possible changes to the zone west of the city of Vyborg, which is part of the Leningrad region.
      "There has been no decision on narrowing the zone in the Leningrad region, and I cannot say if anything like that is under preparation", said a spokesman for the Russian Border Guard.
      Those moving around in the restricted border zone require a special permit from the Russian Border Guard, which must be applied for a month in advance. No permit is needed for transit through the zone.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Border zone in Russian Karelia grows in some places, shrinks in others (16.1.2007)
  Russia announces substantial expansion of border zone in Karelia (13.12.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat