Finnish PM hopes for speedy signing of Estonian-Russian border treaties

TALLINN, Nov 24, BNS - The prime minister of Finland, Matti Vanhanen, who is scheduled to arrive in Tallinn today, hopes for speedy signature of treaties delimiting the land and sea borders of Estonia and Russia.

"The signing of the Estonian-Russian border treaty is important to both Estonia and Russia as well as the European Union," Vanhanen said in an interview with the Postimees daily. "It's very good at this that the parties have reached agreement on the location of the border."

Estonia and Russia signed the border treaties in Moscow on May 18. A month later the treaties were ratified by the Estonian parliament and the president promulgated the ratification act, but Russia then withdrew its signature on account of a preamble that the parliament added to the ratification act.

According to the head of the Finnish government, it is clear that the present situation is not good from the point of view of guarding the external border of the EU which is why the bloc should in every way support the signing of the border treaties.

Vanhanen said he hopes the treaties can be signed before the start of the Finnish presidency of the EU. Finland will take over the rotating presidency in the second half of next year.

"On the other hand, if this is not possible Finland must represent the EU's common interests and do everything possible for the border treaty to be signed," he added.

The premier voiced the opinion that despite some setbacks the EU is slowly moving in the right direction in its relations with Russia.
He noted that the bloc and Moscow have reached agreement on four so-called common spaces which concern cooperation in economy, internal and justice affairs, external security, and research, education and culture, as well as visa facilitation.

"A meeting of Nordic and Russian ministers this week further strengthened the cooperation between Baltic Sea and Arctic regions," Vanhanen added.