No extended border opening

Visiting Storskog, the only crossing point along the Norwegian – Russian border, Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that the opening hours will be extended. “The Prime Minister promises now that the station in the near future will be open from 6 in the morning till 23 in the evening,” NTB quoted the Prime Minister. That was back in June 2007.

Since 2007 the numbers of border crossers have increased considerable and the queues are getting longer and longer.

The year after, in 2008, Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre was asked in a Parliamentary question period about how things are going regarding the dialog with Russian authorities on extended opening hours. Støre replied and said the question about opening hours are regularly raised by Norway in discussions with Russian authorities.

Russian authorities have answered the Norwegian questions by underlining that opening hours can be extended when the Russian border check-point at BorisoGlebsk gets international status.

Last autumn, Borisoglebsk got such status. The classification “International status” gives Borisoglebsk more federal funding and requires more personnel. And by that, the opening hours can be expanded. On the Norwegian side, the police in charge of the border check point at Storskog say they have already implemented the expanded opening hours in their budgets and personnel plans.

But still, the gate is closed at 21 in the evening and don’t open again until 7 in the morning (9 am to 23 pm Russian time).