Definition of Borders and Security
Boundary - a demarcation indicating some division in spatial terms. Border – an international boundary line; when a border is seen as a zone it is often called a borderland or the borderlands. Frontier - a zone of contact with or without a specified boundary line.i
As L.Heininen and H.N.Nicol have emphasized ‘security’ is a broad concept, there are many ideas about the meaning of security and what should, or should not, be a ‘security’ issue, therefore there are many different understandings and ways to define and conceptualize security.ii
Security in this paper is understood as direct intervention to prevent threats and interdict dangerous people and goods at the Latvia/Russia border.
Function of the Conceptual Framework
Author, as E.Brunet-Jailly in Borderlands: Comparing Border Security in North America and the European Union,iii in this paper tried, first, to discuss the relevance of agents on borders, second, to examine the porosity of border, and third, to suggest new policy guidelines to government and agents that might strengthen border security objectives.
HISTORY
In 1918-1940 (Latvia as independent state) and in 1940-1990 (as part of USSR) borders were never an issue. For Latvia creating the Eastern border from 1991 was a great challenge starting from “zero” because there were no border between Latvia and Russia for 50 years.
In 1991 after independence of Latvia there were started border negotiations by Latvia and Russia. Latvia claimed on a district in the neighbouring Russian region of Pskoviv (Pytalovo district of Pskov Oblast of the Russian Federation) former Jaunlatgale/Abrene which was part of Latvia before World War II.…
Paper addresses the transformation of the agenda of border security relating to Latvia-Russia border. There are discussed following problems in paper: the relevance of signed treaty between Latvia and Russia; the investment in Latvia/Russia border; the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation; problems with which Latvia-Russia border is dealing (increased number of cargos waiting for crossing Latvia/Russia border, smuggling, persons crossing border with fictitious documents, illegal border crossers and illegal immigrants). This paper focuses on what comes in through the border, and not so much on what goes out except problem of long truck lines. This paper also focuses on the investment and problems which affected Latvia’s side not Russia’s.
