The Estonian government has decided to terminate the agreement with Russia on legal assistance. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is preparing a draft law to be submitted to parliament for approval.
According to Postimees, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna stated, "Our goal is to terminate the agreement as quickly as possible, as Estonia's clear position is not to cooperate with the aggressor. The agreement would automatically be extended in 2025."
After the agreement expires, legal cooperation with Russia will be conducted similarly to any other third country. The termination of the legal assistance agreement between Estonia and Russia may lead to issues in family relations, inheritance, enforcement of court decisions, and recognition of documents.
"The most significant inconvenience faced by Russian citizens in Estonia and Estonian citizens in Russia will be that all official documents, such as family status certificates, birth certificates, death certificates, etc., will require additional apostille confirmation (document recognition)," hinted a lawyer at the possible problems after the agreement is terminated.
"At present, a document issued in one country automatically applies in another. In some cases, only a notarized translation is required. If the agreement is terminated, documents will need to be apostilled, requiring additional expenses and time," the lawyer added.
