Border fence plan could postpone border treaty
A plan to construct a fence, backed up with modern sensors and cameras, along the majority of the Estonian-Russian border has received criticism from Russia, with the nation's foreign ministry saying it would be unilateral, temporary and would have no legal meaning, as there is no border treaty in place.
Head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, Aleksey Pushkov, said the border treaty ratification date will be known on September 14 at the earliest, adding that he does not expect a quick ratification process as the general political situation, Estonian foreign politics and strained bilateral relations between the two countries do not help the cause.
“The primary problem with guarding the border is that the Estonian-Russian border treaty has not been ratified. Due to that the temporary border area is being finalized. The state border has not been built up or even marked,” Police and Border Guard (PPA) Southern Prefecture head Tarmo Kohv said.
The PPA has proposed a 2.5-meter-high fence among the majority of the land border between the two nations. Cameras, a stretch of sand, a smaller fence to keep out small animals, and sensors would accompany the fence. The project would cost around 70 million euros and construction could begin in 2018.
Latvia is also planning more protection for its border with Russia, saying it would keep illegal immigrants out.
Editor: J.M. Laats