Estonian-Russian border consultations begin in Moscow
TALLINN. Oct 31 (Interfax) - Estonian-Russian consultations on border issues will begin in Moscow on Wednesday.
Estonia will be represented in these negotiations by the Estonian Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Legal and Consular Affairs Lauri Bambus and Estonian Ambassador to Russia Juri Luik, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told Interfax.
Paet said the parties will not discuss technical issues relating to the border line registered in the treaties on the ground and sea border, which were signed in 2005, but have never taken effect.
"These consultations will not address previous statements. We will speak about the wording needed to make headway and to ensure that these treaties take effect," the minister said.
"We are beginning these negotiations with good faith and with a wish to ensure that the treaties take effect," Paet said.
The parties expressed their interest in resolving this issue during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU countries and Russia in mid-October, he said.
Estonia and Russia signed treaties on the ground and sea border on May 18, 2005. However, the Estonian parliament on June 20, 2005 included in the law on the ratification of the treaties a preamble on the effectiveness of the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that stated the pre-war border, which Russia regards only as a historical document.
Russia regarded that step as an attempt to reserve the possibility of bringing territorial claims against Russia in the future and recalled its signatures from the treaties.
On September 1, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed to resume Estonian-Russian border talks in a speech given at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). Soon after that, the Estonian parliament recommended that the parliament begin appropriate consultations.
