Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called on Tuesday for Russia's customs procedures to be speeded up by cutting red tape and bringing order to customs posts.
Putin said during his annual address to the lower house of the Russian parliament that the time it took to receive customs clearance was often inadequate and was a drag on the import and export of high-tech goods.
"If there is not basic order at customs, any efforts to advance innovative Russian products and other modern goods on the world market will not have the desired effect," he told the State Duma.
The prime minister added that receiving customs clearance can take from several weeks to several months in Russia, while in other countries it takes just several hours, and stressed that red tape was the biggest obstacle to cross-border trade, not customs duties.
MOSCOW, April 20 (RIA Novosti)
