The agreement will establish a legal basis for cooperation between ministries and institutions in various fields of activity ranging from socio-economic development and environmental issues to culture and education, the Ministry of Finance told BNS.

In addition, the agreement will support cooperation in preparing and launching interregional and cross-border cooperation programs and projects funded by the Estonia-Russia cross-border cooperation program of the European Neighborhood Instrument (ENI).

Activities connected with the agreement would be directed towards regions in both Estonia and Russia — both those situated adjacent to the border as well as those further away.

Finland has signed a similar agreement with Russia. In the framework of the same forum, Latvia is scheduled to hold the third meeting of the regional cooperation group of the Russian-Latvian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific, Technical, Humanitarian and Cultural Cooperation.

The Estonian delegation to travel to Pskov next week will include Minister of Public Administration Mihhail Korb, MPs Dmitri Dmitrijev and Deniss Borodits, Estonian Ambassador to Russia Arti Hilpus, Director of the Consulate General in Pskov Katrin Kanarik and officials from the Ministry of Finance.

Estonia's Ministry of Finance in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been preparing the agreement on cross-border cooperation between Estonia and Russia since 2006.