RIGA, Dec 11 (LETA) - Saeima on Thursday turned down a bill proposed by the opposition's National Alliance, which envisaged dismantling rail infrastructure on the Latvian-Russian border.

As reported, several ministries and security authorities have been instructed to prepare an opinion by the end of the year on the impact of the demolition of the rail tracks on the Russian border on Latvia. If Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia decided to dismantle the rail links to Russia and Belarus, the decision should be a joint one, the Baltic presidents said following a meeting in Riga on December 4.

Discussions are therefore ongoing. However, National Alliance decided on Thursday to submit a draft decree to Saeima, which stipulated that Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) should, by a government decision, ensure dismantling of the rail infrastructure on the Latvian-Russian border, as well as negotiate with Lithuania and Estonia in order to ensure a united Baltic action on dismantling rail links.

National Alliance also urged the prime minister to seek funding at the European Union level to at least partly compensate the cost of dismantling the rail infrastructure as part of measures strengthening Europe's eastern border.