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Estonian Review: 30 April - 6 May, 2008
09.05.2008
FOREIGN NEWS
DEFENCE NEWS
ECONOMIC NEWS
FOREIGN NEWS
President Ilves met with the Lithuanian Head of State
Apr 30 - President Toomas Hendrik Ilves received Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, who arrived on a state visit to Estonia. The discussions at the meeting focused primarily on cooperation between the Baltic countries on issues related to energy security, the European Union Neighbourhood Policy, and Baltic Sea strategy.
Speaking of energy security, the Estonian Head of State stressed that electricity import from third countries is one of the primary dangers for the European Union's domestic market and its energy security. A solution to the problem of reliable supply can only be found with honest cooperation between the member states in order to create new energy connections and guarantee independence from unstable energy suppliers, the Head of State noted.
Energy is a key point in Baltic Sea strategy, President Ilves stated at the meeting. According to the President, the Baltic Sea Region is among the areas of the European Union with the greatest economic potential, and in addition to the current forms and activities of cooperation, the Heads of State saw promise in the free movement of services and labour.
The European Union Neighbourhood Policy was also discussed at the meeting, and Presidents Ilves and Adamkus stated that Europe's current neighbourhood policy has justified itself and it must be developed further.
I think it is important that each partner state be approached individually, the Estonian Head of State noted. The countries that are more successful and are able to reform faster should be allowed to move forward faster, president Ilves said.
The Lithuanian Head of State expressed his support for the joint declaration adopted by President Ilves and Polish President Lech Kaczyński in March, which calls for the governments of the European states to discuss the possibility of creating an international commission to investigate Communism's crimes against humanity and violations of human rights.
Being acquainted with and understanding each other's history is an important precondition for the European Union's domestic solidarity, said President Ilves.
76% of Population Supports Giving Aid to Poorer Nations
May 6 - The results of a public opinion survey study showed that Estonians' interest towards developing co-operation has increased significantly.
The population's interest in global issues has grown from 57% to 67% since 2005. Out of regular residents, 81% had heard about Estonia's development co-operation, while 99% of opinion leaders knew about this topic. It was also clear from the survey that the population's support for providing aid to poorer countries had grown from 65% to 76% since the last study. The reason for providing aid that was most often mentioned was to help those in need while opinion leaders also brought up moral obligation as a reason.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet believes that every person can make a contribution to help developing countries and their citizens. I'm pleased to see that more than three quarters of Estonian people believe that we should help those who have less than we do, said Paet.
However, we must continue to explain to the population why Estonia, the European Union, and international organisations co-operate to alleviate the situation for many nations struggling in the grip of development problems, Paet said.
President Ilves met with the Albanian Prime Minister
May 1 - President Toomas Hendrik Ilves met with Sali Berisha, the Prime Minister of Albania.
According to the Estonian Head of State, while the relations between the two countries are good, they should definitely be actively developed further, Albania has great potential as both a tourist destination and an investment environment, and therefore, your country definitely needs broader introduction to demonstrate how far you have come.
Under discussion at the meeting were the developments in Albania during the last few years and President Ilves recognized the country's achievements in the field of information technology, by affirming that Estonia is ready to provide comprehensive advice and help to Albania in the development of an e-state.
President Ilves also congratulated Prime Minister Berisha on the occasion of the invitation for NATO membership issued to Albania. However, it is important not to rest on one's laurels and to continue carrying out reforms and making them permanent, because, in addition to being domestically beneficial, this is necessary for the fulfilment of obligations resulting from NATO membership, the Head of State noted.
President Ilves and Prime Minister Berisha also discussed the Kosovo question and stated that the primary goal now is the development of a substantively functioning state in Kosovo. Prime Minister Berisha thanked Estonia for its contribution to the military operations in Kosovo.
Prime Minister Ansip also met recently with Berisha to discuss cooperation projects between the two countries as well as issues of the Balkan region, especially the situation in Kosovo.
Ilves: Czech Presidency Will Coincide with a Time of Significant Changes
May 6 - President Toomas Hendrik Ilves met with Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, with whom issues related to the European Union and energy security were primarily discussed.
According to the Estonian Head of State, the bilateral relations between Estonia and the Czech Republic have historically been very good. There are no problems, only common interests. This is due, in great part, to the similarities of our foreign policy priorities regarding the enlargement processes of the European Union and NATO, President Ilves noted.
In January 2009, the Czech Republic will take over the European Union Presidency from France. Your Presidency will coincide with a time of significant changes - the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, European Parliament elections, the development of a uniform foreign service for the European Union, President Ilves said to the Czech Prime Minister. I am sure that the Czech Republic will manage these processes successfully and hope that we will succeed in effectively cooperating in many fields of activity, Ilves added.
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip also met with his Czech colleague to discuss the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty that will coincide with the European Union Presidency of the Czech Republic as well as the near future of the enlargement of NATO and the possibilities for strengthening the cooperation between the two countries.
Speaking about the missile defence system planned to be erected in the Czech Republic Ansip said that it was not just in the interests of the Czech Republic or the United States but of the whole world.
"We want the air space above us to be policed, I am very much satisfied with the decision of NATO's Bucharest summit on the building of a missile defence system above all NATO member countries," Ansip said.
The Estonian prime minister expressed pleasure at the fact that his Czech colleague was in Tallinn together with a business delegation. Ansip expressed the hope that this would enliven economic contacts between the two countries. Ansip said that the trade balance between Estonia and the Czech Republic was in deficit on the Estonian side and it would apparently remain so for a long time. "There are no plans to start making cars in Estonia in the near future and we will continue to buy Skoda cars from the Czech Republic," Ansip noted.
European Parliament Discussed Environmental Impact of Baltic Sea Gas Pipeline
May 6 - The external affairs and energy committees of the European Parliament discussed the environmental impact of the Baltic Sea gas pipeline; the full house will endorse the respective report in July.
The energy committee endorsed without single against vote an opinion drawn up by the Estonian Social-Democrat Andres Tarand.
The legally non-binding opinion emphasizes the special risk of pollution to the Baltic Sea, a shallow and relatively closed sea, and recommends unambiguous designation of responsibility for the contingency of possible accidents.
By the opinion drawn up by Tarand the energy committee recommends that in addition to chemical weapons sunk into the Baltic Sea also the effect to the building of the pipeline of fully loaded warships sunk into the Gulf of Finland should be thoroughly studied. Simultaneously, the opinion includes a proposal to consider the option of an overland alternative to the track.
The opinion of the external affairs committee takes into consideration an amendment by Estonian Social Democrat Kartin Saks who underlined in her speech the need to seriously consider also an overland pipeline, which would be cheaper and have a smaller environmental impact.
The German proposal contains a recommendation for the appointment of an advisory body of representatives of all Baltic Sea countries to steer the gas pipeline project.
Foreign Minister Paet Condemns Expulsion of USA Diplomats from Belarus
May 5 - Foreign Minister Urmas Paet expressed extreme indignation over the decision of the authorities in Belarus to expel ten USA diplomats working in the USA's Minsk embassy from the country.
The Belarusian authorities justify this move by saying they want to equalise the size of the staff between the embassies in Minsk and Washington, but let's be honest-this is not a very convincing argument, said the foreign minister. He added that this behaviour punishes the residents of Belarus more than anybody else. The USA puts millions of dollars into supporting tens of aid programmes in Belarus that the nation's own leaders aren't capable of providing, said Paet. According to him, in addition to civil society development programmes, plans to advance USA-Belarus cultural and educational relations could also suffer, which would further worsen the situation for people there.
The foreign minister expressed solidarity with the USA and its diplomats, emphasising that Belarus itself will be responsible for the consequences of its decision. For this reason, Paet called upon Belarus to revoke its short-sighted decision. The foreign minister is certain that the European Union will soon reach a common viewpoint on this issue and will carefully follow developments in the situation.
Parliament to Finalize Ratification of Lisbon Treaty in June
May 6 - The Estonian parliament will decide in June whether or not to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, the document intended to reform the European Union.
Väino Linde, the chairman of the constitutional committee said that the bill on the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty would have its second and last reading on June 11. He said it would be clear by that date whether any acts must be amended after the endorsement of the treaty.
The aim of the treaty is to strengthen the effectiveness and democratic legitimacy of the European Union and to increase its unity. In Estonia the document will be ratified by the parliament as it is an international agreement that may not be put to a referendum. .
According to the Foreign Ministry also the other member countries of the European Union will overwhelmingly ratify the treaty in parliament. Until the present it has been done by Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, Malta, France, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Portugal and Denmark.
The document will enter into force from next January if all the 27 member countries have ratified it and deposited the ratification letters with the Italian government. Otherwise the treaty will enter into force on the month following the depositing of the last ratification letter.
Estonia Supports Prevention of Illicit Arms Trade with 100,000 kroons
May 5 - The Foreign Ministry allocated 100,000 kroons for the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs' extra-budgetary fund to help prevent the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons in Latin American and the Caribbean Sea nations.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Latin America and the Caribbean Sea region are some of the most problematic areas in the world in terms of illegal small arms trade. We want to help the UN and other international organisations in their efforts to achieve internal stability and a positive economic situation, build up a democratic society, and advance regional integration in these countries, said the foreign minister.
The contribution of the Estonian Foreign Ministry will go towards helping organise a UN-arranged seminar on increasing capabilities for the prevention of small arms and light weapons trade in Latin America and the Caribbean Sea nations. The goal of the seminar is to help implement the international instrument for identifying and tracing illicit small arms and light weapons. The settings of the instrument will be introduced, along with the tasks that the nations must undertake in order to implement the instrument.
Mart Laar Ukraine Shares Experience of Accession to EU and NATO in Ukraine
May 6 - Former prime minister Mart Laar, met with the first deputy prime minister of Ukraine in Kiev in order to share with him experience of Estonia's integration with the European Union and NATO.
Prime Minister Grygori Nemyrya spoke about Ukraine's plans of rapprochement with the European Union and of applying for a membership action plan from NATO. Also the economic reforms launched in Ukraine and Estonia's outlooks of supporting Ukraine's integration with the West were discussed.
Laar said that Estonia was being regarded as the most successful transition country and as a result interest in the Estonian experience was high in Ukraine.
Besides, the meeting focused on more effective cooperation in increasing awareness of the crimes of Communism and their condemnation.
Laar together with Zbigniew Brzezinski, the national security adviser to the former US President Jimmy Carter and former German Defence Minister Volker Ruehe belongs to a group of experts consulting Ukraine on issues of its development. The group recently published a report on the situation in Ukraine and the challenges facing the country.
Estonian Embassy in Turkey Organised Tree-planting Event
Apr 29 - Within the framework of the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Estonian Republic, the Estonian Embassy in Turkey organised a tree-planting day in Hansoglan, near Ankara. The event took place with the co-operation of the Turkish Ministry of the Environment.
Estonian Ambassador to Turkey Märt Volmer emphasised in his speech that Estonia is a green nation, with half of its area covered in forests. Forests are our greatest richness, and the forest has a well-defined position in our culture and history. With this tree-planting event, we would like to bring a little bit of Estonia and the Estonian way of thinking to Turkey, said the Estonian ambassador.
In honour of the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, representatives have planted over 2000 trees in Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Mexico, Latvia, Turkey, Iraq, and other nations.
Visa Applications can now be Completed on Internet
May 6 - Starting May 6th it is possible to fill out an application form for an Estonian visa on the website on the Foreign Ministry.
Anybody with an email address can fill out a visa application at the address www.vm.ee. After the form is filled out, it must be printed out and signed, since Estonian representations can only process signed applications. The visa application is also sent to the visa applicant's email address.
Tourism companies can also fill out visa applications on the internet, though these applications must still include the signature of the applicant.
DEFENCE NEWS
Estonian Parliament Supports President's Constitutional Amendment Motion
May 6 - The Estonian parliament on with 58 votes in favour decided to support the constitutional amendment initiated by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves on the reorganization of management of state defence and increasing civilian control.
As the parliament accepted the constitutional committee proposal to amend the Constitution by two memberships of the parliament, the act must be confirmed also by the next membership of the parliament. In the next membership the bill will be put on the final voting in the first reading where it needs a majority of at least three fifths of the votes.
If passed, the act will enter into force three months after promulgation.
The bill initiated by the president would remove from the Constitution a reference to the defence forces commander and supreme commander and if and when the amendment enters into force the parliament would have to pass a separate act to regulate the appointment and dismissal of members belonging to the defence forces command. At present the defence forces commander is appointed by the parliament at the president's proposal.
ECONOMIC NEWS
Currency Rates in Kroons
(Bank of Estonia)
IMF Mission to Arrive in Estonia
May 6 - A mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be in Estonia on an annual visit until May 19, meeting with representatives of the private sector and the government to discuss Estonia's economic policy situation.
The six-member delegation will be offered an overview of the development and outlooks of the Estonian economy, the Bank of Estonia stated.
The members of the IMF mission also will be given information about the state of affairs in Estonia's financial sector and developments in fiscal policy. Other topics to be discussed include outlooks for joining the Euro zone and potential risks for economic development.
On the basis of the nearly two-week visit by the IMF mission to Estonia a report will be drawn up in the summer.
Estonia's last Precautionary Stand-by Arrangement (PSBA) with the IMF expired in August 2001. Since then cooperation with the IMF has continued in the form of annual economic policy consultations (the so-called Article IV consultations).
Software Developer Webmedia Boosts Profit by 37%
May 6 - AS Webmedia, which ranks as one of the largest software developers in Estonia, earned a profit of 22.1 million kroons (EUR 1.41 mln) in 2007.
The figure marks an increase of 37 percent over the preceding year.
Operating revenues grew 47 percent year on year to 135.1 million kroons, it appears from the company's annual report. Exports surged 72 percent and revenue per employee was up 35 percent.
The size of the company's undistributed profit was 51.6 million kroons. The proposal of the management board is to retain the profit earned in 2007.
The number of employees grew by 18 percent in 2007 to stand at 195 at the end of the year. Labour costs amounted to 64.8 million kroons.
Webmedia AS is a company of Webmedia Group, which has offices in Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Romania and Serbia. Webmedia has clients in 15 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Extension of Muuga Container Terminal to Cost EUR 55 Million
May 6 - The supervisory board of the state-owned port company Tallinna Sadam (Port of Tallinn) approved plans to build an extension of the container terminal at the Muuga port just outside Tallinn at a cost of 55 million euros.
The tender to perform the works has been won by a consortium made up of KMG Insenerehituse AS and two Danish companies.
The extension would be able to handle 500,000 containers annually.
The consortium is to build 400 meters of new quay line and lay out port terminal grounds on 27 hectares in the course of two years.
The first phase of the extension of the eastern part of the Muuga port is meant mainly for handling north-south cargo flows of the Baltic Sea region, Seli explained.
As regards servicing the more large scale west-east trade flows, there are still problems that need to be solved, he said.
Port of Tallinn has signed an agreement with Chinese partners and is now continuing talks with them as regards the operation of the expanded container terminal.
Building Equipment Rental co Cramo Estonia's Performance Improves Strongly in 2007
May 5 - The earnings and profit of Cramo Estonia, a building machinery and equipment rental company of the Finnish-Swedish Cramo group, increased substantially last year.
According to Cramo Estonia's annual report, the sales revenue grew 29 percent to 358 million kroons and net profit soared 35 percent to 125 million kroons.
Rental of building equipment accounted for 88 percent of the operating income. The company judged the year 2007 to have been very successful.
Cramo Estonia invested 142 million kroons last year. Cramo Estonia's retained profit stands at 400 million kroons.
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