OREANDA-NEWS. September 21, 2011. Dmitry Medevdev submitted to the State Duma for ratification the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Ossetia on Customs Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, signed in Moscow on December 9, 2010.

The Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Ossetia on Customs Cooperation and Mutual Assistance was drafted by the Federal Taxation Service of the Russian Federation to facilitate the implementation of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Ossetia of September 17, 2008.

The Agreement is aimed at strengthening customs cooperation and joint efforts against customs violations, as well as facilitating passenger and cargo traffic between Russia and the Republic of South Ossetia.

The Agreement provides for the establishment, by mutual consent of a specialised Russia customs agency in South Ossetia and a South Ossetian customs agency in the Russian Federation. The aim is to increase trade by cutting the cost of and the time required for customs clearance and customs procedures, to provide assistance with customs personnel training, as well as joint implementation of law enforcement activities.

The Agreement regulates the mutual recognition of documents and decisions of the specialised customs agencies, their immunity and privileges, as well as their release from duties and taxes in the state where they are based.