MOSCOW: Russia and Latvia signed a deal on Tuesday demarcating a border they have disputed since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Baltic state Latvia was one of the first states to split from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991 and pulled further out of Russia's orbit when it joined the European Union and Nato in 2004.

“The signing of this agreement, unconditionally, corresponds to (our) national interests and will help strengthen relations not only between our two countries but within the European continent as a whole,” Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said.Latvian Prime Minister Aigar Kalvitis, the first Latvian head of government to visit Russia in 16 years, also said the agreement would help smooth relations between the two countries.—Reuters