Borders

Until 1998 Estonia stood staunchly by the conviction that its border with Russia was set by the Tartu Peace Treaty of 1920. In reality, however, border controls have been maintained along the line unilaterally set by Russia in 1991. Estonia and Russia initialled a border agreement on March 5, 1998, ceding the disputed territory to Russia. When Estonia joins the European Union on May 1 of this year, its border with Russia will also be the border between the EU and Russia. Borders between other EU countries and Estonia will not disappear right after the change-over, since Estonia will not automatically fall under the Schengen agreement. All the same, most expect controls to lighten.