Estonia wants to close one of the border crossings with Russia

Estonia will consider closing the Koidula border crossing with Russia in the south of the country.

This was stated by Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Laenemets, ERR reports.

Among the main reasons for the possible closure, the minister named a sharp decrease in border crossings, poor relations with Russia, and cost savings. The Interior Minister said that an analysis of the impact of this decision would be conducted before making a decision to close the crossing.

"We would like to get this analysis in the second half of this year, and then we can see what the effects are and whether it is justified to continue this issue or not. There is no decision yet, the research is just beginning," he said.

There are five border crossing points on Estonia's border with Russia, three of which are for road traffic - Narva, Luhamaa, and Koidula - and two for rail traffic. In addition, there are two bilateral border crossings that are open to residents of Estonia and Russia. One of them, the Narva-2 border crossing, has been temporarily closed since November last year.

Author - Olena Madiak, 11/05/2023