MOSCOW, October 10 (RAPSI) – A bill aimed at enhancing Russian border security has been submitted to the lower house of parliament, or the State Duma, RIA Novosti reports on Friday.

The bill, which was proposed by the Federal Security Service (FSB), was approved with few amendments by the government's legislative commission early in September.

The bill provides conditions for signing agreements with countries adjacent to Russia on the joint operation of checkpoints.

It is also aimed at lifting bureaucratic hurdles at the border, reducing border wait time, and improving border crossing conditions.

The FSB may be authorised to consider the limits of the border zone and the the border zone regime. Its departments may be empowered to take part in border control activities, according to the bill. 

The document increases fines and toughens penalty for violating the border and checkpoint requirements as the number of such violations has more than doubled over the past nine years, the authors of the bill said.