Helsinki. July 8th. INTERFAX - The Finnish Border Service has started designing the construction of a barrier on part of the border with Russia.
"It won't be just a fence. It includes a technical control system. (...) We have 1,340 km of border with Russia. It would be appropriate to protect about 100-250 km," Matti Pitkianitti, head of the International Cooperation Department of the Border Guard, told the Yle broadcasting portal on Friday.
According to him, "part of the fence can be introduced in the summer of this year."
As Pitkianitti noted, although border issues are not a matter for NATO, member states bring issues of hybrid influence to the alliance's discussion.
"These are genuine security problems, so they are also discussed at the NATO table. Even if Finland becomes a NATO member, we will not see its troops on the Finnish border. Our border control is still carried out within the framework of the EU and the Finnish Border Guard," he said.
The official recalled that in Finland the state does not own the border territory. Therefore, he noted, it is necessary to think over how to compensate private landowners for the damage caused by the fence.
"The use of private land will be possible thanks to a new law that will soon come into force," Pitkyanitti said.
On July 7, the Finnish Parliament approved amendments to the laws on border protection and on the powers of the authorities during emergency situations. In particular, the Law on Border protection prescribes broader opportunities for restricting cross-border movement in the event of an emergency.
According to parliamentarians, the law is being updated due to increased fears that Russia may try to have a hybrid impact on Finland by organizing a large number of asylum seekers at the borders.
On July 8, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto signed amendments to the law on strengthening border security with Russia, the country's Interior Ministry reported.
