Changes Must Be Made to State Borders Act Before Marking Border, Says Minister
Interior Minister Hanno Pevkur said changes to the State Border Act are necessary before any work on marking the nation's border with Russia can begin, but the changes can be rushed.
Cartographer Tõnu Raid has said that there currently is no legal basis for the eastern border, but Pevkur said the border line was fixed by the border guard more than 10 years ago, adding that the line should also be cemented on the governmental level.
Pevkur said the changes could be rushed through Parliament, but only 90 percent of the border can then be marked down, as the border treaty with Russia, which has been agreed to but not yet ratified, will make small changes to the temporary control line.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said the treaty is still waiting for ratification by the Russian Parliament.
Paet said the initial signals were that it will be processed by the Duma after its summer break, but it reconvened a few weeks ago and currently there is no information.
Parliament has already began processing the treaty, and it has passed a first reading. But the plan is to have the final treaty ratified by both parliaments simultaneously.