Syria, Ukraine Shifted Focus from Russian Border Treaty, Says Expert
The Estonia-Russia border treaty has taken a back seat to Syria and Ukraine in Russia's foreign policy priorities, says University of Tartu political scientist Karmo Tüür.
“I think that the treaty remained unsigned in 2013 probably due to Russia focusing on restraining Syria and later on retaining Ukraine,” Tüür told ETV on Friday.
He said that as there currently are no hot topics, the treaty could be signed soon.
The Estonian Foreign Ministry said that the treaty has not been signed due to minor changes, with minister Urmas Paet adding that President Vladimir Putin has agreed to sign the document. However, Russia's ministries must also sign off on the treaty.
The two nations agreed on the location of the border already in 2005, but Russia withdrew its approval shortly afterwards. Putin asked the Russian Foreign Ministry to approve the treaty in October of 2012, after which discussions were reopened.