Tourists stuck in China will still be taken out across the road bridge over the Amur

Russian and Chinese citizens who stuck in Blagoveshchensk and Heihe, due to problems with transporting tourists along the Amur, they will be transported across the cross-border road bridge across the Amur from tomorrow, November 11, reported Ministry of Transport of the Amur Region. Previously the department reportedthat transporting passengers across the bridge was impossible, but a few days later there was a statement that the removal of tourists would begin on November 11.

“We have now received confirmation from all control departments about the organization of the emergency removal of Russian citizens from Heihe and the dispatch of Chinese citizens from Blagoveshchensk across the international bridge, using the infrastructure of mixed checkpoints… Today we are informing Russian and Chinese citizens and tour operators so that everyone has time arrive at the mixed passenger checkpoints of Blagoveshchensk and Heihe to undergo control procedures,” said acting. O. Minister of Transport Svetlana Popova.

The department reported that a traffic pattern for passenger buses has been worked out – they will arrive through the automobile bridge crossing at the mixed checkpoint of Blagoveshchensk to complete customs procedures. Tourists will undergo passport control at the Kani-Kurgan automobile checkpoint. The circuit will also be worked out in the opposite direction.

Russian citizens who urgently need to cross the border must arrive on November 11 at the Heihe mixed checkpoint at 9:30 Amur time (3:30 Moscow time). Chinese citizens – to the Amurasso passenger port at 7:00 Beijing time (2:00 Moscow time), the regional Ministry of Transport emphasizes. Everyone else is advised to refrain from traveling to China unless absolutely necessary.

Earlier today, RIA Novosti, citing a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry reportedthat they plan to return those stuck in Russia home by plane or through other border crossings.

On the same day, the Consulate General of Russia in Harbin prepared and published recommendations for tourists on how to travel to Russia, bypassing the problematic Blagoveshchensk-Heihe checkpoint. Tourists are advised to cross the border in the cities of Suifenhe (on the border with the Primorsky Territory) and Manzhouli (bordering with the Trans-Baikal Territory).

Anna Yashina, Blagoveshchensk