(l) ‘Border region’ shall mean an area which extends up to 30 kilometres from the common land border between a Member State and the Russian Federation, as well as the territories of seaports including custom zones, and International airports of the Member States and the Russian Federation;

(m) ‘Border crossing point’ shall mean any crossing-point authorised by the Member States or the Russian Federation for the crossing of their respective land and sea borders, including at International airports and seaports;

(n) ‘Transit’ shall mean the passage of a third country national or a stateless person through the territory of the requested State while travelling from the requesting State to the country of destination.

SECTION I

READMISSION OBLIGATIONS BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Article 2

Readmission of Russian nationals

1. The Russian Federation shall admit, upon application by a Member State and in accordance with the procedure provided for in this Agreement, any person who does not, or no longer, fulfil the conditions in force for entry to, presence in, or residence on the territory of the requesting Member State provided it is established, in accordance with Article 9 of this Agreement, that such person is a national of the Russian Federation.

The same shall apply to illegally present or residing persons who possessed the nationality of the Russian Federation at the time of entering the territory of a Member State but subsequently renounced the nationality of the Russian Federation in accordance with the national laws of the latter, without acquiring the nationality or a residence authorisation of that Member State or any other State.

2. After the Russian Federation has given a positive reply to the readmission application, the competent diplomatic mission or consular office of the Russian Federation shall irrespective of the will of the person to be readmitted, as necessary and without delay, issue a travel document required for the return of the person to be readmitted with a period of validity of 30 calendar days. If, for any reason, the person concerned cannot be transferred within the period of validity of that travel document, the competent diplomatic mission or consular office of the Russian Federation shall issue a new travel document with a period of validity of the same duration without delay.

Article 3

Readmission of third-country nationals and stateless persons

1. The Russian Federation shall admit, upon application by a Member State and in accordance with the procedure provided for in this Agreement, any third-country national or stateless person who does not, or no longer, fulfil the conditions in force for entry to, presence in, or residence on the territory of the requesting Member State provided that evidence can be furnished, in accordance with Article 10 of this Agreement, that such person:

(a) holds, at the time of submission of the readmission application, a valid visa issued by the Russian Federation entering the territory of a Member State directly from the territory of the former; or

(b) holds, at the time of submission of the readmission application, a valid residence authorisation issued by the Russian Federation; or

2. The readmission obligation provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article shall not apply if: