EU, Russia sign treaty as tensions rise in Baltic News
EU, Russia sign treaty as tensions rise in Baltic

[JURIST] Russia and the European Union [official website] agreed to work on strengthening political and economic relations during a summit [EU press release] Tuesday, but the agreement was tempered by harsh language by Russian President Vladimir Putin [official website] on relations with the Baltic states. During a press conference following the summit, Putin said Russia was working on border agreements with Latvia and Estonia, two former Soviet republics that, along with Lithuania, joined the EU last year. Putin said he hoped the countries would not make "idiotic" territorial demands as part of the agreements. Russia has bristled at resentment from the Baltic states over what many viewed as Soviet occupation of the countries following World War II. The EU-Russia agreement signed today calls for increased cooperation and lowering visa barriers among the nations. The EU has more on relations with Russia [EU backgrounder]. Read Putin's press statement and the four road maps agreed to by EU and Russia. Reuters has more.