One week before Easter, the number of state border crossings is by 4.5% lower on a week before, However, compared with the corresponding period last year, the number of people who crossed the border is by 23% higher, while of units of transport – by 35% higher, IPN reports.

Dumitru Datsco, senior specialist of the Border Police Department, has told IPN that the rise is due to the fact that the people from the European Union enter Moldova based on a number of documents. “The use of EU identity cards to cross the state border is the main reason for the rise. These cards enable to easier enter the country,” he stated.

According to Dumitru Datsco, the previous years the EU citizens could enter only based on biometric identity cards, but now they can also use cards of particular formats, such as ID1 and ID2, following the amendment of the legislation.

The specialist noted that the decline in the number of passengers and vehicles that crossed the border, compared with a week before, is normal as the figures can vary insignificantly from week to week.

To avoid the formation of lines at border crossing points, the Border Police will increase the number of employees on duty. These will also be outfitted with mobile devices for reading travel documents and the process of crossing the border will be hastened, stated Dumitru Datsco.

He anticipated that the number of border crossings to Moldova will increase this week.