North-West Border Service: Baltic States Having Joined EU, Border Situation May Improve

According to the statement made yesterday at a press conference by Vladimir Golbakh, the head of the North-Western Department of the Federal Border Service, Baltic states' joining the European Union does not threaten Russia in any way and, quite the opposite, may improve situation at the Baltic stretch of Russia's state border.

According to Mr. Golbakh, lately, there has been a tendency toward fruitful cooperation between the border services of Russia and the Baltic states. Cooperation between Russia, Estonia, and Finland as concerns the monitoring of cargo transports over the Baltic Sea has no precedent and may set an example for other countries that have sea borders.

During the meeting concerning the outcome of training sessions for the commanders of border detachments, Mr. Golbakh noted the continuous assistance his department receives from the office of Viktor Cherkesov, President's Plenipotentiary in the Northwestern Federal District. He also expressed his gratitude to the governors of the border regions of Russia for the assistance they extended to border guards in the year 2002.