Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 1 June (BelTA) – More than 150,000 foreign fans may go through Belarus for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Aleksei Begun, Head of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Belarusian Interior Ministry, told the media on 1 June, BelTA informs.

Aleksei Begun cited the data of the Russian colleagues who informed that 1.5 million foreign fans have bought the tickets for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Interior Ministry expects more than 10% of them to go transit via Belarus. The ministry does not rule out that many will decide to spend some time in Belarus to explore tourist attractions.

According to Aleksei Begun, Belarusian law enforcement bodies are ready to ensure security and comfortable stay for such a big number of travelers. The interior ministries of Belarus and Russia set up working groups who will address emerging issues in a prompt manner. “Transport police of the two countries will also cooperate as fans travel across Belarus by rail, enter and stay in Russia or transit through Belarus to Kaliningrad,” Aleksei Begun said.