In a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Estonian Foreign Minister Eva Maria Limets expressed her “serious concerns about the military escalation in and around Ukraine” and raised the issue of ratification of the 2014 Estonian-Russian border agreement.
“Estonia and Russia are neighbors, so we need to keep in touch, despite the fact that we disagree and our views differ on many issues,” Limetsa said after Friday’s talks.
“In a telephone conversation, I mentioned the issue of ratification of the border agreement signed by our countries in 2014 as an important topic in bilateral relations. The current Estonian government has expressed its readiness to continue working in this direction, ”she stressed, adding that the entry into force of the border treaty would provide Estonia and its allies with important guarantees in terms of security, prevention of organized crime, drug transit and human trafficking.
“We concluded that consultations should continue,” the minister said.
Both Līmetsa and Lavrov have acknowledged the success of cross-border co-operation between the two countries as successful, and the Estonian Minister has suggested considering closer co-operation on environmental and climate issues.
Speaking in the field of international relations, Līmetsa emphasized that it was important for Estonia to respect the principles of international law, the territorial integrity of states and human rights.
“I expressed my Russian colleague’s concern about the military escalation in and around Ukraine. I believe that it is important for Russia to fulfill its international obligations and make efforts to resolve the situation peacefully, “she said.
The Minister informed Lavrov about Estonia’s intention to obtain observer status in the Arctic Council in order to promote transnational scientific cooperation and contribute to the sustainable development of the Arctic.
The Estonian and Russian foreign ministers last met in 2015.-
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