The Eastern Latvian Border: Potential for Trans-Frontier Co-operation with Russia. Final Report of the Project

Bleiere, Daina, Rolands Henins. The Eastern Latvian Border: Potential for Trans-Frontier Co-operation with Russia. Final Report of the Project. Riga: Latvian Institute of International Affairs, 2004.

The study was conducted with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden between March and September 2003, and its aim was to research cross-border co-operation (CBC) opportunities and problems with Pskov region of the Russian Federation of Latvia’s border regions - the Alūksne, Balvi and Ludza districts. In parallel, similar studies on Estonian-Russian and Russian-Estonian and Latvian CBC were conducted by the Estonian Institute of International Affairs and by the Centre for Social Projecting “Vozrozhdeniye” (Pskov). Researchers analysed the local press in border regions - Malienas Ziņas, Vaduguns and Ludzas Zeme; using a detailed questionnaire, they conducted 57 interviews with local government leaders, businesspeople, NGO leaders, ministry employees, MPs, scholars, etc. In addition the social and economic development of Latvia’s border area; CBC in EU policies; laws and international agreements regulating CBC in Latvia, Latvia’s administrative territorial reform, and the role of NGOs in CBC was analysed. Particular attention was given to economic co-operation and the influence of Latvia’s accession to the EU on the development of CBC with Russia. The report also contains recommendations aimed at facilitation of development of CBC.