Baltic States – CIS, Estonia, Legislation, Russia, Transport

On 24 February, the bill of ratification of Estonian-Russian border agreements was approved by the Russian Government's Legislation Committee.

Estonian Foreign Minister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus said that the Russian government's decision is a necessary step in order to move forward with the ratification of the border treaties. She noted though that a multi-stage process lays ahead for the ratification of the border treaties still, the completion of which requires real decisions.

Pentus-Rosimannus said that progress in the ratification of border agreements and their enforcement is in the interests of both parties.

Former Estonian Foreign Minister, current European Parliament Member Urmas Paet stated that the Russian government's decision to send the Estonian-Russian border agreements to the Russian parliament for ratification is an important decision.

"Entry into force of the treaties is a step towards strengthening the security of Estonia, because the fewer big open questions we have with Russia, the better. The state border issue is clearly such an issue. Hopefully, the ratification process in the Russian parliament will not last long," said Paet.

On 18 February 2014, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Urmas Paet and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov signed three agreements in Moscow: the Estonian-Russian land border and the Narva and the Gulf of Finland sea areas bordering agreements; the third signed treaty concerned the conditions of the location of the embassies.

The Riigikogu completed the first reading of the border agreement in April last year. The parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Marko Mihkelson said then that the Riigikogu will hold the final vote on the border agreements only when Russia has reached as far.