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Estonian Review: 23-29 July, 2008
31.07.2008
FOREIGN NEWS
DEFENCE NEWS
DOMESTIC NEWS
ECONOMIC NEWS
FOREIGN NEWS
Paet: International Cooperation Will Help Fight Against Piracy
Jul 25 - Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said international cooperation would help fight against Somali pirates.
Paet said that piracy, particularly off the Somali coast, had mainly economic reasons due to extreme poverty of the country and practically non-existing central power.
The minister said that about 2.6 million people, including 1.5 displaced persons, need humanitarian aid in a country that has been involved in a civil war for a couple of decades.
It is in these conditions that piracy has sprouted, contributed by Somalia's 3,000 kilometres coastline and the fact that the pirates have generally received the ransom they have asked. The scope of the problem is evident from the fact that this year pirates have hijacked 29 ships there, and there were 25 such cases during the past year.
Paet said that Estonia, who came in touch with such a case for the first time at the end of May, had raised the issue of Somali pirates several times in the European Union and NATO during the past month.
The issue was discussed in the EU foreign ministers' council and proposals of the EU military committee for a solution of the problem are expected for the new session of the council in September.
Paet said that it wouldn't be easy to find a solution, as complicated legal issues and the problem of capability were connected with it. There are several countries' warships, military aircraft and helicopters in the area but their efficient use presumes international coordination.
The minister said that one of the primary duties was to get an overview of the possible means available in the area.
Possible solutions include convoying of certain type of ships, above all those with a low hull, and establishment of certain traffic rules for them. This presumes also cooperation between ship-owners because the measures may affect their financial results. Estonia's possible participation in taking security measures will apparently be limited to money, because the country does not have relevant military capability.
Estonia to Educate Georgian Social Workers
Jul 29 - Estonia has earmarked nearly half a million kroons to support the training of Georgian public servants and specialists of non-profit organizations in the sphere of social work.
The appropriation of 1,400,079 kroons (EUR 89,500) comes from the Foreign Ministry's development aid and humanitarian relief budget, the ministry said.
"The Georgian state and nation can use Estonia's experience of the reconstruction of the social welfare system to improve the quality of services provided to those who need them," Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said. He added that the Caucasus state lacks at present a systematized social welfare system and therefore needs first and foremost more general knowledge of social work.
The appropriation will cover a course for one hundred specialists of Georgia's social sector and nonprofits organizations embracing both the Estonian experience of social work and shaping of social policy and practical work at Estonian public sector and non-profit institutions.
The project will be implemented by the Institute of Social Work of Tallinn University and the non-profit organization Noored Noortele (Youth to Youth).
Georgia is one of Estonia's principal partners in development cooperation next to Afghanistan, Moldova and Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet Finds That Preconditions Are Good for EU-Serbian Cooperation
Jul 25 - Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet believes Serbia has good outlooks of cooperation with the European Union after the installation of the pro-Western government of Mirko Cvetkovic at the beginning on July.
Paet told reporters that the new government had taken important steps, referring to the capture of war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic and Serbia's decision to return its ambassadors to countries that had recognized Kosovo's independence.
But the minister added that the international public was also looking forward the capture of another suspected war criminal, Ratko Mladic.
Besides, Serbia should ratify the association and cooperation agreement signed with the EU this spring, so also the member countries of the EU could do it.
Paet admitted that independent Kosovo, which also Estonia had recognized, would naturally remain a problem in relations between the EU and Serbia.
He said the European Union hoped that Serbia would not obstruct Kosovo's accession to international organizations.
Despite the Kosovo problem, Paet expressed the opinion that Serbia's outlook of accession to the EU kept becoming clearer. He said that considering Serbia's political and economic importance also the EU was interested in the accession.
Morocco Interested in Estonian Oil Shale Technology
Jul 25 - Latifa Akherbach, the deputy foreign minister of Morocco, said during his meeting with Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet that his country was interested in Estonia's oil shale technology.
The deputy minister said that Morocco's interest in Estonian oil shale industry and oil shale processing technology was partly due to the rising price of oil products.
Paet and Akherbach talked about cooperation opportunities of the two countries, the Mediterranean Union initiative and about piracy off the Somali coast.
The two officials underlined the good standing of their countries' relations but noted that there was certainly a lot of room for development and opportunities for closer cooperation.
Paet said that Estonia would willingly receive Moroccan business delegations in order to inform them about the local possibilities.
"Agreements on the protection of investments and on the avoidance of double taxation should be signed between Estonia and Morocco," he added.
Estonia Supports Thorough Framework Agreement between EU and Ukraine
Jul 25 - Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told reporters that Estonia expected a thorough framework agreement to be signed between the European Union and Ukraine.
The plans are to sign the EU-Ukraine framework agreement at a bilateral summit on September 9.
Paet said that the document could be called an association agreement but its content is more important than its title. "Estonia wants a thorough agreement," he said. "I hope it will be strong and substantial."
The minister said that among other things the agreement should reflect the visa dialogue, which would have abolition of visas between EU and Ukraine as its more distant aim.
At present Kiev has established one-sided visa waiver for citizens of the community but in Paet's opinion it should also be extended to Ukrainian citizens in their movement in the EU.
The minister admitted that there were differences in the Europe over whether Ukraine should accede to the community in the future. According to some opinions it would be necessary on condition that Ukraine has carried out the required reforms while others are sceptical about enlargement of the EU in general or about Ukraine's accession in particular.
The situation is complicated by the Ukrainian domestic policy situation where in addition to the struggle for power there are different understandings of the future orientation of the country.
Hungary Will Represent Estonia for Issuing Visas in India
Jul 23 - Beginning on 1 August, Hungary will represent Estonia for issuing Schengen visas in India.
Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and his Hungarian colleague Kinga Göncz exchanged the appropriate notes on Tuesday, 22 July in Brussels.
Hungary has represented Estonia since 1 January 2008 in Moldova and since 1 June 2008 in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Pakistan.
Estonia has signed representation agreements for the issuing of Schengen visas with Latvia, Germany, Finland, Hungary, and Spain. Negotiations for representation agreements are underway with Holland, France, and Poland.
Applications for short-term visas, transit visas, and airport transit visas can be brought to representations of member states standing in for Estonia. For a long-term visa or residency permit, an applicant must still turn to the nearest foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia.
DOMESTIC NEWS
Tartu University's Russian Studies Attract Great Interest
Jul 29 - A master's degree program in Russian studies the College of Europe of Tartu University starts offering for the first time this fall has aroused great interest and the university received 24 applications for 10 places.
"We dared not hope for even ten students at first. Our earlier experience with the master's degree program of Baltic studies, for instance, showed that it takes a couple of years for information about it to be properly absorbed outside Estonia," program coordinator Siiri Maimets said.
By now six foreign students have confirmed they'll embark on the course in the fall, Piret Pumm from the university's foreign students department told. The college accepted seven students from other countries and three Estonians.
"It's going to be quite a mixed bunch with students from the United States, Holland, Italy, Sweden, and Finland, and one from Russia as well," Pumm said.
Maimets said foreign students see Estonia as a safe place to study Russia. "They aren't keen on going to Russia itself for a long time, but we're going to arrange study trips for them and that appears to be of interest to them," she said.
The program is interdisciplinary, meaning it does not focus on just one or a couple of fields of study. "Separate courses are mapped out in economy, law, politics, culture and history," Maimets explained.
The two-year program ends with a master's thesis and a degree in social sciences.
Professor Andres Kasekamp said Russia should be a trump card to give prominence to Estonian universities in Europe. "We can emphasize Russia's proximity and the existence of a Russian-speaking population, as well as old ties with Europe. That's why it's better to study here with us than say in Finland, Sweden or even at the University of Krakow," he added.
Estonian Citizenship Exam to Become More Practical
Jul 28 - The new rules of Estonian citizenship exam will make the exam neither simpler nor more complicated but more practical.
Adviser to the population minister Eva-Maria Asari told that under the new rules questions will be asked not just about two laws but about Estonian life in general.
People taking the exam complain most about its complexity and the legal form of the questions, she said.
The new requirements prepared at the National Examinations and Qualifications Centre have been sent to the Ministry of Education and Science for endorsement. The new model foresees a multiple choice test of 24 questions.
The plan is for the new test to enter into force in March 2009. The present requirements have been in force since 2002.
Estonia Ranked among Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations
Jul 28 - The US-based non-profit organization Earth Island Institute has ranked Estonia among the developing world's 10 best ethical travel destinations.
The world's most ethical destinations are developing nations that are on the right path improving environmental protection, social welfare and human rights, the organization said.
The 2008 list of the developing world's 10 best ethical destinations includes Argentina, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Namibia, Nicaragua and South Africa.
Rather than ranking the countries on scores or points, the organization listed the winners in alphabetical order.
People's interest in responsible travel is growing from year to year, the Earth Island Institute observed.
The ethical destination report helps travellers who are aware of where their money is going and willing to support nations that care about the environment and human rights in planning their journeys, said Jeff Greenwald, executive director of Ethical Traveller, a project of the Earth Island Institute.
To create the list, the institute used data provided by the United Nations and other international organizations such as Freedom House, Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Estonia stood out in the Freedom House report on civil liberties, the EII observed.
Judoist Padar Picked for Estonia's Flag-Bearer at Beijing Opening Ceremony
Jul 28 - Judoist Martin Padar will be Estonia's flag-bearer at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, the Estonian Olympic Committee announced.
Padar was the winner of the European Youth Olympic Days in 1995 and has under his belt medals from European and junior world championships.
Estonian flag-bearers at opening ceremonies of summer Olympic Games include the legendary decathlonist Heino Lipp (1992), rower Juri Jaanson (1996), sailor Tonu Toniste (2000) and decathlonist Erki Nool (2004).
The Estonian delegation will enter the Beijing Olympic stadium 13th after Ireland and ahead of Andorra.
Estonia Has More Than 900,000 Estonians
Jul 25 - According to a recent yearbook of Statistics Estonia the country had 1,342,409 residents last year, of these 921,962 ethnic Estonians.
In 1989 the population of the country was 1,565,662, so the figures have fallen by more than 220,000.
According to the census of 1989 there were 963,281 Estonians in Estonia, 42,200 more than last year.
Last year there were 344,280 ethnic Russian residents in Estonia against 474,834 in 1989. As a result the number of ethnic Russians in the country has fallen by more than 130,000.
The next biggest ethnic group last year were Ukrainians of whom 28,158 lived in the country last year, about 20,000 fewer compared with 1989.
The number of ethnic Belarusian's living in the country was 16,133, about 11,500 fewer than in 1989. The fifth biggest ethnic group were Finns, of whom there were 11,035 living in the country. The number of Finnish residents has fallen by 5,500 compared with 1989.
Bank of Estonia Issues Beijing Olympic Games Souvenir Coin
Jul 25 - The Bank of Estonia will issue a silver coin at 10 kroons face value on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Beijing.
The obverse side of the coin features a fragment of the Beijing Olympic stadium's frame, the logo of the Estonian Olympic Committee and the face value, 10 kroons.
The large Estonian coat-of-arms, the date 2008 and the text Eesti Vabariik (Republic of Estonia) appear on the reverse. The coin will be struck in up to 10,000 copies at the Finnish mint. The designer of the coin is Tiiu Kirsipuu.
Estonia to Have 2,000 Public WiFi Areas by 2009
Jul 24 - By the next year Estonia will have 2,000 certified WiFi covered areas meant for public use.
WiFi.ee editor Veljo Haamer told the number of public wireless Internet areas has increased by 300 this year to nearly 1,200 and added that by next year such areas will number 2,000.
"The accessibility of wireless Internet improves from day to day, because a cafe that doesn't have WiFi lacks visitors," he said.
By regions, Harjumaa boasts the largest number of WiFi covered areas -- 425, of which 372 are in the capital city Tallinn.
The first public WiFi covered area in Estonia was launched in May 2001. WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) is the only wireless data communication standard integrated into the Linux, Windows and Apple operating systems.
Estonia to Introduce Digital Stamp
Jul 23 - The Estonian government will Thursday discuss amendments to the Digital Signatures and Administrative Procedure Acts, which will make it possible to use digital stamps in business management and administration.
According to the bill digital stamps can be used by institutions, companies and individuals. The digital signature, which is in use now, is only intended for individuals.
The state will launch the issue of digital stamp certificates, which will confirm the owner's link with the digital stamp.
Applicants for digital stamp certificates may own several different certificates and according to it several different digital stamps.
The aim of the digital stamp is to speed up and simplify information exchange and make it more reliable. The sphere of use of the stamp extends, for example, to banking, courts, notaries, bailiffs and trustees in bankruptcy.
In-Service Training is Offered to 8,500 Adults
Jul 23 - Tõnis Lukas, the Estonian Minister for Education and Research, endorsed a public procurement to adults' occupational training in the framework of which 8,500 adults will be able to receive free in-service training with support by the European Social Fund.
The European Social Fund will support the in-service training of Estonia's working adults with 22 million kroons; the project will make it possible to them to take part in one of a total of 618 courses.
In the framework of the project the Ministry for Education and Research will organize free courses at 37 vocational schools and institutions of professional higher education.
Lukas has said that the success of the present government had to be measured by whether it was possible to increase the number of adult learners.
"We can say with conviction already this summer that the government has been successful, because the number of those taking part in lifelong learning has sharply risen and it will soon appear also from statistical data. The interest of people in the upgrading of their skills has risen also because by providing free courses the educational system has been able to involve even those who have not been looking for possibilities of learning on their own," he said.
The aim of the courses is to provide in-service training for raising one's competitiveness or retraining for moving to a new job.
The courses of an average of 33 hours will take place in 33 study program groups, to which training in general skills will be added.
The aim of the project is to offer opportunities of training to those who cannot afford attending paid courses and who would otherwise not be involved in lifelong learning.
The Estonians' participation in lifelong learning has for years been lower than the European average, particularly in the Nordic countries. If in Denmark 29 percent of adult residents took part in lifelong learning last year, then in Estonia the percentage was only seven.
For Estonians participation in lifelong learning has a rising trend; in the first quarter this year there were as many as 11.6 percent of participants, the all-time highest figure.
Two Estonians Swam across the Gulf of Finland
Jul 26 - Two Estonians out of a party of six swam across the Gulf of Finland.
The swim started at six in the morning on Finland's Cape Porkkala and ended on Cape Suurupi in Estonia, a distance of 55 kilometres.
Bruno Nopponen was the first to finish, arriving on the other shore 19 hours and 13 minutes later.
Priit Vehm spent nearly three hours more to cover the distance, arriving on Cape Suurupi after a swim of 22 hours and 22 minutes. Vehm veered east from the course and had to adjust his route.
The other four swimmers did not finish.
There is no information of any earlier swims across the Gulf from mainland to mainland.
On August 17, 1931 the Estonian Aleksander Laas swam from Naissaar Island to a small island off Porkkala, spending 20 hours to cover the 40 kilometre distance.
DEFENCE NEWS
Chief of Staff Visited Estonian Unit in Afghanistan
Jul 29 - The chief of staff of the Estonian defence forces, Col. Neeme Väli, visited the infantry company ESTCOY-6 stationed in Now Zad during his working visit to Afghanistan.
Maj. Ain Tiidrus, the commander of the unit, briefed the chief of staff about the situation in the Now Zad area. Väli also studied the soldiers' service conditions and gave members of ESTCOY-6 and the logistical support element NSE-5 inscribed pocket-knives as a present.
"You have reason to be proud of your service," the colonel told the soldiers. "Foreign military of varied ranks have spoken in high terms about Estonian soldiers."
Both Regional Command South and the Helmand force command find that Estonian troops are doing a vital job in the Now Zad area, which is an important enemy supply route, Väli said.
Apart from the Estonian infantry company, British units and US marines are deployed in Now Zad.
The chief of staff met with the commander of Regional Command South and the deputy chief of the international force in the southern Helmand province.
The aim of ESTCOY-6 is to establish a dominating presence in its area of responsibility in Now Zad. The unit's tasks include patrolling, convoy duty and operations to interfere with the activity of Taliban fighters who use the area mostly for transit from the north to Sangin in the south and to Musa Qal in the east.
Estonian defence forces have been taking part in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan since 2003. It is the largest mission abroad for the Estonian military with around 140 soldiers deployed, most of them in Helmand province.
Estonian Air Force Personnel Participating in Sea Rescue Drills in Latvia
Jul 29 - Air Force personnel of the Baltic States are training rescue of aircraft crews in distress in an international exercise in Latvia.
The Baltic Bikini 2008 exercise at Liepaja on Latvia's western coast is designed to practice searching for and recovering personnel lost at sea.
Twelve Estonian soldiers are taking part in the exercise. The exercise is carried out in the Liepaja-based divers' school and on the sea off Liepaja.
A Latvian Navy vessel and a Latvian Air Force helicopter are also taking part in the exercise. In all, 78 defence personnel and coast guards from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are participating in the drills.
The Baltic Bikini exercise was held in Lithuania last year and in Estonia in 2006.
NATO Defence Ministers to Meet in Estonian Capital in Fall
Jul 27 - Estonia will be hosting defence ministers of NATO member states possibly including the US defence secretary in the framework of a NATO-Ukraine meeting in the fall.
A key topic of the high-level November 12-13 meeting chaired by NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will be Ukraine's defence and security reform. The ministers are going to discuss Ukraine's progress in harmonizing its defence and security sector with NATO standards.
This will be the last meeting at that level prior to the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in December at which giving Ukraine a NATO Membership Action Plan will be under discussion.
It's premature to say which countries' defence ministers are expected to come to Tallinn and whether the US secretary of defence will be among them. In any case, it's going to be a high-level meeting, because even if ministers from some countries will not make a personal appearance they will be replaced at a very high level.
New Defence Attachés in Finland and in Germany to Take Office
Jul 25 - Estonia's new defence attachés, Lt. Col. Peeter Lans in Finland and Sweden, and Lt. Col. Kristjan Moora in Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, will take office next week.
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves temporarily promoted both Lans and Moora to lieutenant colonel for the period of their service abroad.
The Estonian defence attaché in Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic will reside in Berlin.
The earlier Estonian defence attaché to Finland and Sweden Lt. Col. Anto Kergand will continue his service in the defence forces. Also the previous defence attaché to Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, Navy Capt. Jaan Kapp, will return to Estonia.
ECONOMIC NEWS
Currency Rates in Kroons
(Bank of Estonia)
Garment Company Baltika More Than Doubles Profit in the Second Quarter of 2008
Jul 24 - The Estonian garment company Baltika more than doubled its profit in the second quarter of this year in comparison with the same period a year ago, netting 18.8 million kroons.
Operating profit was 22.5 million kroons, a 38.8 percent improvement on Q2 2007, the company informed the stock exchange.
CEO Meelis Milder said the second-quarter results reflect a definite turnaround in Baltika's profitability.
"The efforts made over the past twelve months to enhance the efficiency of our retail system, which has experienced rapid growth and expansion to new markets, are bearing fruit: in the second quarter practically all our profitability indicators improved significantly compared with the previous year," Milder said in a comment on the financial results.
The large 2006 and 2007 investments in East European markets, which caused a temporary downturn in the group's profitability, are all the more important now that these are practically the only markets in Europe where economic growth and consumption are increasing at an accelerating pace, the chief executive said.
Estonian Banks Capital Adequacy up to 18.2 Percent in June
Jul 29 - The Bank of Estonia said the average capital adequacy of commercial banks stood at the highest level this year, or 18.2 percent.
As of the end of May the figure was 17.2 percent and at the end of April 6.8 percent.
The banks' gross equity totalled 34.9 million kroons as of the end of the month, 3,72 billion kroons less than at the end of May.
The assets of Estonia's commercial banks declined by 3.38 billion kroons to 334.22 billion kroons in June against May.
Cross-Border Energy Flows up Considerably in the Second Quarter of 2008
Jul 29 - According to OÜ Põhivõrk (Main Grid), a subsidiary of the Eesti Energia (Estonian Electricity) power utility, the amounts of electricity transferred within the country stayed at the previous year's level in Q2 this year, but cross-border energy flows increased considerably.
In Q2 this year 1,701 gigawatt-hours of electricity was transferred domestically in the main grid. Compared with the same period last year the volume remained practically unchanged, Põhivõrk said.
Cross-border energy flows, that is export, import and transit energy totalled 1,178 gigawatt-hours, 461 gigawatt-hours more than in the same period last year.
Of the energy directed into the power grid nearly 0.4 percent or 10.2 gigawatt hours was produced from renewable energy sources. Of this 8.3 gigawatt-hours was wind energy and 1.8 gigawatt-hours hydroelectric or waste energy.
Revenue of Ice-Cream Maker Premia Grupp up Nearly 50 Percent in the First Half of 2008
Jul 29 - The revenue of the Estonian ice-cream maker Premia Tallinna Külmhoone Grupp together with its Lithuanian and Latvian subsidiaries totalled 393 million kroons in the first half of the year, nearly 50 percent higher than in the same period last year.
The rapid growth in the group's sales proceeds came mainly from Latvia, Premia board chairman Kuldar Leis said. In Estonia Premia's H1 revenue totalled 211 million kroons, at the same level as in 2007.
"Premia is doing as planned, although this year's rainy and cool June was not the best time for the sale of ice-cream. But in July the weather has been better and also the sales volumes have increased," board chairman of Premia Tallinna Külmhoone Grupp said.
Estonia's Nitrofert Fertilizer Maker Earned Profit of 170.6 Million Kroons in 2007
Jul 28 - The Estonian Kohtla-Järve-based AS Nitrofert, which mainly produces mineral fertilizers, earned a net profit of 170.6 million kroons in 2007.
The year before the profit of the company was 36.9 million kroons.
According to the report Nitrofert's sale proceeds were 36.7 million kroons the year before.
The report said that the growth was due to a rise in the price of the output and the fact that the price of gas remained at the 2006 level last year.
Last year Nitrofert exported 94 percent of its output and made investments to the tune of more than 20 million kroons. Most of it was used for the renewal of urea production.
Cruise Ferry Vana Tallinn to be Replaced by Festival on Riga-Stockholm Route
Jul 28 - Estonian ferry operator Tallink Grupp on Saturday, August 2 will replace the cruise ferry Vana Tallinn to a newer Festival on its Riga-Stockholm route.
"The demand for shipments on the route is increasing and the replacement of the ferry to a newer and larger one is a huge step forward," Hillard Taur, the executive director of Tallink Latvia said, adding that Tallink is positively and hopefully assessing the stable growth of passenger numbers both from the Baltic States and Sweden.
The ferry Festival is 171 meters long and 27.6 meters wide. It has nine decks and 588 cabins. The ferry may board 1,750 passengers and 885 line meters of vehicles. Festival is a ferry of 1A Super -- ice class. It has several relaxation and recreation facilities, including a conference centre with 12 rooms, four restaurants and cafeterias, three stores, children's playroom and a sauna complex with a swimming pool. The cruise ferry Festival will sail under Latvian flag and with the Tallink brand name.
In 2007 Tallink served 298,000 passengers on its Riga-Stockholm route, up 97.3 percent from 2006, as well as 10,500 cargo units and 44,000 passenger vehicles. Tallink launched its Riga-Stockholm route in April 2006. At present there are two Tallink ferries plying between the capital cities of Latvia and Sweden. Tallink vessels run under the Tallink and Silja Line brands on seven regular routes to Estonia, Sweden, Latvia, Finland and Germany.
The Sales of Estonia's State Forest Manager Exceed 1 Billion Kroons in the First Half of 2008
Jul 23 - Sales revenue of the Estonian state forest management centre RMK in the first half of this year was 1.032 billion kroons, an increase of 296 million kroons against the same period last year.
Most of the revenue came from the sale of timber and logging rights. Income from other activities formed 15 million kroons, RMK said.
The manager of state forests sold in the six months 1.24 million cubic meters of timber for 937 million kroons. The average price per cubic meter was 752 kroons, up by 26 percent from the same period last year.
The average price of timber has been falling steadily since the peak at the end of last year. "A good thing is that despite declining demand we've managed to sell all of felled timber. We see prices remaining at the present level in the third quarter and a slight rise towards the end of the year," CEO Aigar Kallas said.
RMK manages 38 percent of Estonia's woodlands.
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