MURMANSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th April, 2022) The only border crossing point on the Russian-Norwegian border, Storskog, will be closed for trucks from Russia, and there will also be a ban on ships from Russia entering Norwegian ports, with the exception of fishing boats, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said on Friday.
"We are imposing the fifth package of EU sanctions in Norway. This means that we are closing the Storskog border crossing for trucks immediately. There will be a ban on the import of a number of chemicals. An exception will be made for (the island of) Spitsbergen, where a special treaty is in force," Huitfeldt was quoted by Norwegian broadcaster NRK as saying.
In accordance with the EU sanctions policy, Norway will also close ports to Russian vessels starting from May 7 with the exception made only for the fishing fleet, the broadcaster added, quoting Norwegian Fisheries Minister Bjornar Skjaeran.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. In response, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow with the fifth sanctions package announced on April 8.
