ODESA, SEPTEMBER 29th, 2011, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — Minister of Transport of Russia Igor Levitin says it is utterly important transit containers should not be inspected and the time of their stay at ports should shrink, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

Mr Levitin stated it yesterday, 28 September, in Odesa during the ceremony of signing a number of cooperqation documents beween Ukraine in Russia.

“This is our common problem because, in compliance with the existing customs regulations, so far all transit containers are inspected, which is different in Europe. Therefore, European ports are more attractive because of the formal procedures that take place at the Russian ports”, noted the Minister of Transport.

“So to us, it is important that transit containers should not be inspected in our ports — they should be transited, and thus their presence in the ports — reduced, except for those containers where there is some evidence that there may be some cargo, which should be inspected”, added Mr. Levitin.

“Together we will talk to the governments of our countries as far asthis procedure is concerned in order to simplify it the way it is done in European ports”, he stressed.