Russia’s new border restrictions risk costing Kazakhstan vital trade access through Russia and Belarus by forcing truck drivers from the country into technical violations of Russian law, a Kazakh lawmaker said Monday.
“Tens of thousands of drivers and international transportation companies are now under threat,” Bolatbek Nazhmetdinuly, a member of the ruling Amanat party, wrote on Facebook. “This is no longer theoretical — good Kazakh carriers are effectively falling under restrictions, risking loss of access to routes through Russia and Belarus.”
The warning comes after Russia imposed new rules on Jan. 1 limiting visa-free stays for foreign nationals, including Kazakhs, to 90 days per year. Nazhmetdinuly said that long delays at Russian border crossings, including those on the route to the European Union via Belarus, count toward that limit, pushing drivers into noncompliance.
“Our drivers aren’t tourists. They’re performing their professional duties. Yet these new requirements effectively make them violators of Russian law,” Nazhmetdinuly wrote, claiming that some Kazakh drivers have already been detained in Russia.
Russian media earlier this month reported that thousands of trucks carrying Chinese goods were stuck at the Kazakh-Russian border due to stepped-up customs checks.
Industry sources said the inspections targeted dual-use goods such as drones and electronics that could violate Western sanctions. Kazakh officials have blamed the backlog on tighter Russian customs procedures.
Adding to the challenges, Russia on June 30 introduced a digital pre-entry system requiring citizens of visa-free countries, including Kazakhstan, to register through a state-run app and obtain a QR code at least 72 hours before arrival.
Nazhmetdinuly said he had contacted Kazakhstan’s foreign and interior ministries, as well as the country’s Eurasian Economic Union representative, to intervene in the matter. He warned that, if the situation persists, Kazakhstan could face rising transport costs, shrinking freight capacity and the risk of being displaced by Russian and Belarusian competitors.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
