Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MOSCOW (AP) — The presidents of Russia and Estonia held talks at the Kremlin for the first time in nearly a decade Thursday, a step toward reversing an absence of high-level contacts that Russian President Vladimir Putin described as "not a normal situation."
In his opening remarks, Putin told Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid their neighboring countries have a lot of concerns in common, including environmental issues surrounding the Baltic Sea and security.
Kaljulaid said after the meeting that despite Estonia observing European Union sanctions on Russia, the two countries could make progress on bilateral issues such as developing transportation infrastructure and taxation.
Estonia, which borders Russia's northwest and is home to a large Russian-speaking minority population, was spooked by Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 in a move that Ukraine and almost all of the world views as illegal.
Estonia has since hosted scores of NATO military drills that were aimed at deterring potential Russian aggression.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Photos
Most recent World stories
Related topics
WorldMore stories you may be interested in
Israel, Iran play down apparent Israeli strike. The muted responses could calm tensions — for now
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators block traffic into Chicago airport, causing headaches for travelers
Bombing at Afghanistan airport that killed 13 troops — including 1 Utahn — wasn't preventable, report says