A new checkpoint between Romania and the Republic of Moldova is to open by Feb. 12 at the latest, Prefect of the northeastern Botosani county Cristian Roman announced on Sunday.
Roman on Sunday met Botosani County Council chairman Mihai Tabuleac, the customs authorities and the Border Police representatives as well as the heads of several public institutions in order to establish a timescale for the opening of the checkpoint at Radauti Prut in two weeks at the most. The moves come after Romanian President Traian Basescu paid a visit to Chisinau this week, when he and his Moldovan counterpart decided to urgently open the Radauti Prut - Lipcani checkpoint.
The customs offices will temporarily operate in modular buildings that are to be placed at Radauti Prut in the shortest possible time. Later, the Botosani authorities will make the required steps with the government to build permanent offices. ‘The County Council has done everything in its power to open this checkpoint.
Botosani county in 2006 got a task, but it was not assigned the funds to achieve it. We are now establishing temporary offices, but the important thing is that the traffic opens and this is guarantee that we will benefit from the government's support to set up the customs offices as we planned', Tabuleac stressed.
The Radauti Prut - Lipcani checkpoint has not been opened so far because the Romanian authorities failed to arrange the customs offices and the relevant infrastructure, although the Moldovan side has achieved a similar investment at Lipcani.
The opening of the checkpoint is also a priority for the European Union, that gave three million euros worth of funds to build a bridge over the river Prut that forms the border between the two states. (Financiarul)
