Stenbock House, Tallinn, 18 January 2019 – today, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and Katri Raik, Minister of the Interior, visited the tri-border area where construction of the Estonian border will begin and received an overview of the border situation and the current state of the border construction from Elmar Vaher, Director General of the Police and Border Guard Board.
The construction of the land border will begin from the area where the borders of Estonia, Latvia, and Russia meet, on two to three different sections of the border. The temporary border line is now marked, cleared of trees, and ready for construction. The Police and Border Guard Board is preparing a procurement for the construction of border infrastructure from the tri-border area to the Luhamaa border crossing point. Officials, experts, and builders can draw on the experience gained when preparing procurements for and building the subsequent sections.
According to Prime Minister Jüri Ratas, the eastern border of Estonia is also the external border of the European Union and NATO, and quality and the best possible use of financial resources are paramount to its construction. “The country’s best experts, who work closely with one other, have been brought in to draw up the procurements for the border construction. Our authorities have sufficient experience in carrying out major construction projects and I am glad that these experiences are utilised well. A great example of this is the cooperation between the Police and Border Guard Board and the Road Administration,” Prime Minister Jüri Ratas said.
“A strong external border is certainly a matter of security for us, which, in practice, also means serious work on preventing illegal border crossings and smuggling. Criminals are increasingly employing more modern solutions in their activities; therefore, state resources and infrastructure must stay one step ahead of those in the criminal world,” stressed Ratas.
The estimated cost of the border construction is approximately 190 million euros at current prices; the precise cost will be determined in the tenders. Katri Raik, Minister of the Interior, confirmed that the first procurement for a contract for border construction will be announced in late January. “Constructing the border is expensive but crucial for security,” Katri Raik said.
“Current estimates made prior to the procurement confirm that the final cost will remain at the current level. The opinion of border experts is very important for such an undertaking. At this stage, the contribution of designers and constructors is important. This is the most extensive and important development project for the Police and Border Guard Board. Project management must be effective and involve the ministry as well. The first procurement for the construction of the border will be announced on the last day of January at the latest.”
Last year, thanks to the establishment of three new radar positions, the Police and Border Guard Board’s capacity of technical monitoring on the Narva River also increased. “There is no doubt that Estonia needs a secure external border. However, the question regarding the optimal price for it remains. Testing of different solutions on test sections showed that building the border infrastructure on the difficult terrain will be a challenging and costly project. Construction will take place on a 300-kilometre section of the border, which requires electricity supply plus technical equipment alongside the infrastructure,” explained Elmar Vaher, Director General of the Police and Border Guard Board.
“The construction of the border is not a project for creating an illusion of security by building a wall and being amazed by what could be achieved with so little money. The construction of the border is one of the largest safety, security, and construction projects for Estonia to date – we wish to make it safe for people to live in Estonia,” Vaher noted.
The final cost of building the border may, however, be cheaper than estimated; for example, due to a decline in global oil prices or the cooling of the construction market.
During the visit, the ministers were given an overview of the border situation and the tri-border area. In addition, they also visited the Luhamaa border crossing point and acquainted with the working conditions, tools, and staff at the crossing point.
Photos: Jürgen Randma / Government Communication Unit https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lozt0u8eirh8b3o/AACGCiyUroeaCa_Tqt7YQE2Pa?dl=0