| 28 March 2007 During the period until 2001, an automated system of protection and control will be introduced on the Belarusian border, Gen. Lieut. Aleksandr Pavlovskiy, head of the State Committee of Border Troops, said to journalists. He explained that a program of development of the state’s external border for 2007-2011 would be approved in the near future. The program offers completing development of a number of border facilities situated on the Belarusian-Baltic and Belarusian-Polish segments. In particular, it is planned to introduce an automated control system at the border crossings where it is not yet installed as well as at the border checkpoints with simplified regime. This year will feature active introduction of an operating mobile method of border protection that will allow increasing state border protection efficiency considerably while human and material expenses are reduced. Work on border protection system automation will be continued. “Due to introduction of new technical facilities we want to shift away from the traditional general-troops method of border protection. Technology must take the place of the humans but perform these functions in a no less reliable way”, Aleksandr Pavlovskiy emphasized. He added that implementation of these measures would allow ensuring free movement of persons engaged in business and tourists but at the same time the Belarusian border would remain a strong barrier to penetration and movement in the Belarusian territory of persons involved in unlawful activities. Talking about development of the border with Russia, Pavlovskiy again emphasized that the Belarusian party did not have such kind of plans as well as plans to build any new engineering facilities on that segment of the border.
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