MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. Tallinn needs to stop "trying to plunge NATO and the EU into hatred against Russia" in order to improve relations with Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at his annual press conference on Monday.
"In order for us [Russia and Estonia] to co-exist normally, they need to stop being one of the three or four major activists in NATO and the European Union who have been holding on like grim death trying to plunge these unions into mindless hatred against Russia," he stressed. Lavrov also said that politicians should be guided "not by some temporary interests, let alone the interests of other states, but by the interests of their own people."
In response to a question about the future of the Russian-Estonian border agreement, Lavrov pointed out that the two countries had initially signed it in 2005. However, Russia had to withdraw its signature after Estonia had ratified the agreement together with politicized options, which was contrary to the mutual decision. At the same time, Tallinn has been violating a similar agreement signed in 2014, since both parties are expected "to ensure that the ruling circles adopt a normal, non-confrontational approach to each another."
Russia has fulfilled its obligations, but "the Estonian government has failed to demonstrate such restraint, moreover, their anti-Russian rhetoric has flourished," Lavrov said. "The border is there, I hope the agreement will be ratified at some point, no one questions the border," he stressed.