RUSSIA’S CUSTOMS OFFICIALS HAVE PROBLEMS IN BELARUS.

Thedeputy chairman of Russia’s State Customs Commission told InterfaxJune 29 that his experiences in Belarus suggests that the expansionof a customs union to include other CIS states will not be "easyor fast." But Belarusian officials saw the introduction of100 Russian customs officers on the country’s Western bordersas a boon: now Western firms will not face two sets of dutieswhen they import or export Russian goods through Belarus.

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