An agreement on advancing interregional and cross-border cooperation with Russia will be under discussion at Thursday's meeting of the Estonian government.
Estonia to conclude cross-border cooperation agreement with Russia
1st August 2013, 12:25
Please note that the article is more than five years old and belongs to our archive. We do not update the content of the archives, so it may be necessary to consult newer sources.
The activities in the framework of the agreement will be directed both at border territories and more distant areas of both countries, the government's press service said. Cross-border territories in Estonia include the East-Viru, Jogeva, Tartu, Polva and Voru counties and in Russia the northern territories of the Pskov region and western areas of the Leningrad region.
The principal directions of cooperation will be creating favorable conditions for passenger traffic and freight carriage, and developing the infrastructure of border checkpoints. The agreement foresees also work in environmental protection and nature conservation as well as joint use of natural resources, cooperation in the event of forest fires and other emergencies, and cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, and science and technology.
The accord puts in place a legal framework and basis for concluding specialized agreements, forming joint work groups and developing and implementing joint programs and projects.
The implementation of the cooperation agreement will be coordinated by an intergovernmental commission.
Russia has analogous agreements with Finland and Poland. Similar agreements with Latvia and Lithuania are in preparation.