Moscow: We'll terminate border cooperation with Finland

Moscow: We'll terminate border cooperation with Finland

Director of the Second Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergei Belyaev, said in an interview with Sputnik that the validity of Finland's plans to erect a fence along the border with Russia will be assessed by the citizens themselves.

"Taking into account the confrontational actions of Finland towards Russia, the Russian side has decided to terminate the Russian-Finnish intergovernmental agreement on the improvement of cross-border cooperation between the two countries, signed in Helsinki on April 13, 2012. Accordingly, there is currently no border cooperation between Russia and Finland. The Finnish side bears the blame for that," explained Belyaev.

The diplomat said that the Russian authorities will not leave unanswered all the anti-Russian actions of Helsinki.

According to him, after the start of Russia's special operation in Ukraine, Finland "carries out a continuous confrontational anti-Russian policy", supporting Kyiv and supplying it with weapons, as well as tightening sanctions pressure on Russia. Belyaev recalled that after Finland's accession to NATO, "traditionally active bilateral political dialogue at all levels and close interdepartmental contacts were interrupted, and irreparable damage was caused to the formerly developed trade and economic cooperation, the connection between regions, including twin cities, was severed".

Earlier, during the weekend, Finland closed four of the eight border crossings with Russia, under the pretext of fearing an influx of illegal migrants and started erecting fences along the way.

The possible closure of the border with Russia was announced by Estonia as well as Norway, which admits that it has no problem with illegal migrants.