The Kaliningrad Region has its status determined by the federal Constitution, which does not specify the category of overseas territories, and no respective constitutional amendments have been offered for now, explains the Foreign Ministry press and information department.
True, European political geography has seen many changes over recent years to sever the Kaliningrad Region off the Russian mainland by the European Union customs territory. That is not enough, however, to reconsider the constitutional status of that part of Russia, the Foreign Ministry stresses in its commentary.
Russia and the EU have adopted a number of joint instruments, with the greatest emphasis on statements of November 11, 2002, and April 27, 2004. These documents recognize an unprecedented situation into which the European Union enlargement has put the exclave. This recognition, nevertheless, concerned only vital supplies to the region.
Russia is not concealing problems that persist in its contacts with the EU. Prominent among those is unhampered passenger and freight transport between the Russian mainland and the Kaliningrad Region to promote the latter's social and economic progress, says the Foreign Ministry.
Linking Russia to the Kaliningrad Region are inextricable historically established economic and cultural ties. Kaliningrad is celebrating its 750th foundation anniversary and a 60th establishment anniversary of the Kaliningrad Region, next summer. The galas will come as yet another spectacular proof of how strong those links are, the commentary says.
