Russia and Latvia signed a border treaty Tuesday, the prime minister's office announced. Both countries had been prepared to sign a border agreement in 2005. But the signing was delayed at the last moment, when Latvia decided to include reference to a 1920 treaty under which a district now in Russia _ known as Pytalovo to the Russians, and Abrene to Latvians _ was considered to be part of Latvia. Russia called on Latvia to withdraw the reference, The Associated Press reported. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, who signed the treaty with Latvian counterpart Aigars Kalvitis, said he hoped it would «permit the removal of a whole array of questions and bring relations to a new level.» «The last 10 years have been a period of stagnation between the countries,» Kalvitis said. «We are prepared to move forward dynamically in all issues concerning bilateral relations.»
