In terms of foreign policy, it would benefit Estonia to have a border agreement with Russia because a working border treaty is better than no treaty at all, writes the International Center for Defense and Security s research fellow Kalev Stoicescu.
Editor s note:
As the Estonian-Russian border treaty has once again hit the headlines, ERR News has republished Kalev Stoicescu s article on the same subject which gives an analysis and historical overview of the topic. This article was first published in February 2020.
In terms of foreign policy, it would benefit Estonia to have a border agreement with Russia
When Estonia regained independence in August 1991, it was not within the borders in which it was born in February 1920 as a subject of international law under the Tartu Peace Treaty, and in which it was occupied and unlawfully annexed by the Soviet Union in June 1940.
Foreign ministry Secretary General Jonatan Vseviov says there are no signs that the Russian Federation will ratify the border treaty with Estonia any time soon. Estonia in any case must not only take a united stance with both its European Union and NATO allies, he said, echoing both his ministry s and the foreign secret service s stance on the matter, but also show the way for theses allies as awareness of Russian actions increases in the wake of the recent Josep Borrel visit to Moscow.
Appearing on ETV politics show Esimene stuudio Wednesday evening, Vseviov, who until recently served as Estonian ambassador to both the U.S. and to Mexico, said that Estonia s political choice is a desire to move forward with the Estonian-Russian border agreement, which has long awaited Russian ratification.
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A court in the northwestern Russian city of Pskov has sentenced a man to seven years jail time for treason.
Sergei Lõhmus, who reportedly has dual Estonian-Russian dual citizenship, was found guilty Friday, BNS reports, and will be incarcerated in a strict regime-based prison.
Russian news agency TASS reported that Lohmus completely admitted his guilt, citing a Federal Security Service (FSB – the Russian Federation s primary internal security organization) source.
The FSB has otherwise been tight-lipped on the charges lodged against Lõhmus, and no public comments have been issued, BNS reports.
The trial itself was held behind closed doors at the court in Pskov, a little over 30 km from the border with Estonia.