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Estonia's legal assistance agreement with Russia expires in a month

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

14.02.2025

In March last year, the Riigikogu decided that the agreement on legal assistance between Estonia and Russia would be terminated. The decision denunciated the agreement on legal assistance between Estonia and Russia, which was signed in 1993 in Moscow and entered into force in 1995, and the agreement will become void on 18 March.

"With its aggression against Ukraine, Russia has demonstrated its disregard for international law, including the UN Charter. We are also seeing Russian authorities continuing to escalate repressions against their citizens and ignoring the rule of law," Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.

"Russia must pay for its aggression. We must continue to do everything we can to isolate Russia internationally, and bilateral cooperation with the aggressor state must be ruled out. Estonia has already reduced practical contacts with Russia to an absolute minimum, and only basic administrative and technical contacts remain. Most cooperation agreements with Russia have already been terminated and terminating the agreement on legal assistance is another logical step. The legal space of Estonia has nothing in common with that of Russia."

Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets said that with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin can boast three achievements: Russia's growing isolation from Europe, the concomitant neutering of its economy, and the gradual deterioration of the rights and freedoms of the citizens of the Russian Federation at home and abroad. "We are under no illusions that there is any point in signing or renewing any agreements with Russia today," Läänemets said.

From the perspective of the Ministry of the Interior, the end of the legal assistance agreement between Estonia and Russia means that in the future, certificates on family events (such as birth certificates and death certificates) and court settlements must have an apostille from a competent Russian authority. The apostille requirement will be retroactive, which means that family event certificates and court settlements issued before the termination of the legal assistance agreement must include an apostille when presented in Estonia. The same applies vice versa, that is, family event certificates, certificates of marital capacity, population registry statements and other documents issued by Estonian authorities must include an apostille from a notary in Estonia when presented in Russia.

"Russia has no rule of law, the killing and abduction of children in Ukraine is sadly only one example of this. Therefore, we cannot talk about any functioning legal assistance agreement; however, I am confirming that even without the agreement, we will continue exchanging information on specific criminal and civil cases in line with international conventions. This includes the ministry mediating the delivery of documents, collecting certificates, and applications related to proceedings on child welfare and child protection, as well as the return of children and right of access," Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta said.