Interior minister promises to fast-track Saatse Boot bypass construction, says bureaucracy must not become security risk.

Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) says he will propose to the government this week that a bypass road around the Saatse Boot be built as a matter of urgency. Passage through the Saatse Boot remains closed until the government discusses the issue.

"As long as the Värska-Saatse road runs through Russian territory, it is difficult -- and in certain situations, impossible -- for us to ensure the safety of people who must use it daily," Taro said.

"Things are currently calm in the Saatse area and our border guards are continuously monitoring the situation. But we know this could be deceptive. The tense security environment does not support the idea that the armed unit spotted on the Russian section of the Värska-Saatse road on October 10 was some kind of accidental show of force. We now have to acknowledge that the decades-old agreement at the border representative level, which has allowed Estonians to drive less than a kilometer through Russian territory, is now in question."

The Värska-Saatse crossing via Russian territory will remain closed at least until the government's discussion on Thursday.

"We need time to determine the best course of action," Taro said.

The interior minister is seeking a productive discussion on Thursday about fast-tracking the construction of the new bypass.

"More than a year ago, the decision was made to build the bypass and funding was allocated. Yet we are still stuck in the planning phase for a five-kilometer stretch of road. When the safety of Estonians crossing Russian territory is at stake, we cannot allow ourselves to get bogged down in bureaucracy while trying to provide them with a necessary alternative for daily life. Traveling through Russian territory is a security risk and in my view, that is sufficient reason to move forward with construction of the Saatse Boot bypass as quickly as possible. I will raise this issue at Thursday's government meeting so we can start taking real steps to resolve a problem that has persisted for more than 30 years," said Taro.

PPA restricted access to a section of road between Värska and Saatse that crosses Russian territory in the Saatse Boot, a sliver of land in Setomaa Municipality where Russian territory juts deep into Estonia, over the weekend after groups of armed Russian personnel were seen on the Russian side.

Interior minister to propose constructing Saatse bypass post haste