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Russian Customs

Russia has had a Customs Service in some form for the past 1000 years. Moreover, for almost all of that history, it has been much more than a force for keeping out contraband. In fact, it has been a powerful, highly politicized administrative organ, serving mainly protectionist leaders.

The Russian Federation is in a transition period now and the role of Customs is to be a guide for the market reforms. The main task of Russian Customs is the protection of the economic interests of the country, national treasures and cultural and historical properties. Customs policy has a far greater share and importance in Russia's regulation of economic activities than in industrial countries with developed market economics.

The creation of Russian Customs was complicated by the fact that, after the disintegration of the USSR, the best-equipped and best-staffed Customs Services were outside Russia, which has acquired as a result 13,500 km of new borders with former Soviet Republics. Moreover, the State Customs Committee has seen a five-fold staff increase over the past five years. This has been matched by growing organizational complexity. The ideological imperative has been replaced.

Today the Russian Federation has a modern, multi-functioning Customs Service which is able to take a deserving place in market economy regulation and is competent to help in rapprochement between the Russian and world economies. Everyone treats the Russian Customs Service as an equal and this means that the Russian Federation is becoming a full and equal member of the world community. (1300symbols)

Grammar Assignments

3.5.1 Look at the headlines for the newspaper articles given below and guess what they have in common: