|
|
 |
Estonian Review: August 22-28, 2005
01.09.2005
FOREIGN NEWS
DEFENCE NEWS
DOMESTIC NEWS
ECONOMIC NEWS
CULTURAL NEWS
FOREIGN NEWS
Estonian President makes state visit to China
Aug 23 - Estonian President, Arnold Rüütel departed for a state visit to the People's Republic of China on Tuesday.
During the course of his visit, political, economic and cultural relations between Estonia and China as well as relations between the European Union and China were discussed.
On Wednesday, Aug. 24, Rüütel arrived in Shanghai, where he visited the port of Shanghai, the Telecom center and the television tower there.
Following this, the president opened a Sino-Estonian business seminar. In the afternoon the president visited the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center and later that evening, met with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng.
On the second day of his state visit, Rüütel went to Beijing, where he met with Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao and President, Hu Jintao. At the meeting with Prime Minister Wen, both sides expressed their satisfaction over the warm and quickly developing relations between Estonia and China. Prime Minister Wen said that despite the difference in size between the two nations, Estonia and China could be considered equal partners in the international sphere. President Rüütel said that bi-lateral cooperation is developing at many different levels and in various fields, bringing business to the forefront.
The Chinese Head of State, acknowledged a growth in trade between the two countries over the past several years. China considers Estonia its good friend and partner.
Later, the Chinese president gave a dinner in honor of his Estonian counterpart.
On Friday Rüütel visited the Great Wall and met with Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China.
At the meeting, the intensification of parliamentary cooperation was discussed at the level of chairmen and commissioners and also at the level of parliamentary organizations. Enn Eesmaa, the Estonian Parliament's Head of Foreign Relations, found that stronger contacts between Estonia and China, due to Estonia's recent entry into the European Union, introduces an entirely new dimension to several areas of interest. Both sides admitted their readiness to intensify relations even more.
On Saturday he went to Xian, where he visited the museum of the terracotta soldiers of Emperor, Qin Shihuang. Saturday evening, Rüütel met with the mayor of Xian, Li Hue Mei. Mei introduced Rüütel to the city's long history. While, the Estonian president talked about Estonia's path to re-independence. Both of them expressed their sincere interest for a stronger economic partnership.
After visiting the Xian History Museum and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the president returned to Beijing where he opened an exhibition by Estonian artist Valli Lember-Bogatkina.
The president made a speech as honorary guest at the opening of the IV worldwide womens' congress's 10th anniversary, visiting the Forbidden City, Imperial Palace and the Qing Hua Tong Fang technology company.
On Sunday evening, Ambassador Mait Martinson offered a reception in honor of the visiting Estonian leader. The president's official delegation on the trip included, Economy and Communications Minister, Edgar Savisaar, Interior Minister Kalle Laanet, Agriculture Minister Ester Tuiksoo, State Secretary Heiki Loot, Chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, Enn Eesmaa, director of the Citizenship and Migration Board, Mari Pedak, and President of the Estonian Olympic Committee Mart Siimann.
Also a part of Rüütel's entourage was a 36-strong business delegation led by Juhan Kolk, member of the board of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Baltic-Nordic Foreign Ministers speak out about situation in South Caucasus
Aug 26 - At the meeting in Denmark on Friday, foreign ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries dealt with the situation in the countries of the South Caucasus's, matters relating to the future of Kosovo, and the European Union's Neighborhood Policy. On the topic of South Caucasus region, Estonian Foreign Minister, Urmas Paet said Estonia considers the working out of concrete action plans for Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia within the framework of the Neighborhood Policy very important.
Estonia is glad that the drafting up of an action plan has already begun and that work will continue in September, the Estonian minister said.
He named democratic development, reforms and fight against terrorism as top priorities.
Paet said that until now the eyes of the international community have been focused primarily on Georgia, with Armenia getting less attention.
Paet remarked that Estonia has carried out several projects of development cooperation with Armenia, but attention accorded to Armenia from both Estonia and Europe as a whole, should increase. "Armenia should be supported more and aided in its movement towards democratic processes," he said.
Speaking about the situation in Azerbaijan, the Estonian minister said Estonia definitely wishes to send its observers to the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan in November.
Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Soren Jessen-Petersen, briefed the Nordic and Baltic ministers on the situation in Kosovo.
Settlement of the Kosovo issue is important for the entire region, Paet said, adding that solutions for Kosovo that were in conformity with the EU outlook for the entire Western Balkans and Kosovo, had to be sought continuously if one was to have stability and development in the region.
Speaking about the EU Neighborhood Policy in the Mediterranean region, Paet specifically mentioned positive developments in Lebanon of late.
"Although Estonia's primary foreign political interests lie elsewhere, developments in the Mediterranean region are directly influencing us, which is why we regard the EU's paying continued attention to that region as important," Paet said.
DEFENCE NEWS
Two Estonian Units left for Afghanistan Thursday
Aug 24 - Two Estonian defense force units, a mine clearance team and a group of military observers, left Thursday for peacekeeping missions to Afghanistan under NATO command.
Both units are serving in the Mazar-e-Sharif Province in Northern Afghanistan in the composition of a British provincial reconstruction team.
The nine-strong ISAF-8 ordnance clearance team is made up of EOD specialists and medics. Commander of the unit is Jr. Lt., Helgo Lauk.
This is the first time the Military Observation Team, MOT-1 made up of six soldiers is embarked on such a mission. Commander of MOT-1 is Capt. Lauri Abel.
The observers' duties include, patrolling the area, collecting information and meeting with representatives from local power and armed forces structures. The international security assistance force for reconstruction of the province uses the information collected by the observers for its operations.
The military observers group is using two Toyota Land Cruisers, which were rented out on the spot, to perform its duties.
Currently, there are 22 Estonian soldiers serving in Afghanistan.
In addition to ISAF-8 and MOT-1 soldiers, there are two senior staff officers serving at the international security assistance force headquarters in Kabul, a three-strong platform team at the Kabul international airport and two officers in the Provincial Reconstruction Team in the province of Mazar-e-Sharif. Maj. Urmas Nigul is the Head of the Estonian contingent in Afghanistan.
The Estonian defense forces have taken part in the NATO peacekeeping operation since March 2003.
Under a decision by the parliament, the size of the Estonian mission units could be up to 25 defense force personnel.
DOMESTIC NEWS
Estonia ranks first in EU for growth in visitor numbers
Aug 25 - The number of tourists visiting Estonia increased by 30 percent last year, making the growth of tourism the fastest growing among EU countries.
However, the Economic Affairs Ministry forecasts that growth is going to slow down a bit this year.
A recent Eurostat survey showed that in Estonia the flow of tourists grew the most among the 25 member countries of the European Union. According to travel agencies, the reason for this is more active promotion of the country abroad and the wider choice of services offered to tourists. According to Eurostat, tourism also grew rapidly in Poland and Latvia.
Vice-President of the Estravel travel agency, Malle Pottsepp says, "growth could apparently have been faster, but the shortage of hotel vacancies during the brief high-point in the summer tourist season, set limits to it.
According to Economic Affairs Ministry figures, 1.37 million foreign tourists stayed at Estonian accommodation facilities in 2003, 24 percent or 262,000 more than in 2003.
The Economic Affairs Ministry forecasts that the number of foreign tourists staying overnight in Estonia will also increase this year. However, the predicted growth will be slower than last year, by 14 percent.
ECONOMIC NEWS
Unemployment Rate Falls to the Lowest in the past 10 years in the second quarter
Aug 23 - The Estonian Statistical Office reported that the rate of unemployment in Q2 this year was 8.1 percent in Estonia, the lowest of the past ten years.
According to a labor poll there were 609,000 employees, 54,000 jobless, and 385,000 persons not active on the labor market in Q2 in the age group 15-74.
The number of those gainfully employed increased against the previous year, while the number of unemployed and those not gainfully employed declined, the Statistical Office said. Employment in the service and agricultural sectors increased in Q2 against the same period last year.
According to Statistical Office information the number of those employed in the hotels and restaurants sphere, real estate, leasing, business and education increased.
The rate of unemployment was the highest in Northeast Estonia, where it was as high as 16.1 percent. Unemployment increased slightly in Western Estonia compared with Q2 2003, but was still the lowest in the country, 5.7 percent. The rate of unemployment declined in all the other areas, the Statistical Office said.
Average wages up 12 percent in this year's Second quarter
Aug 26 - The average gross monthly wages in Estonia for the second quarter of 2005 stood at 8,291 kroons (EUR 530), 11.8 percent higher than in the same period last year, the Statistical Office reported. The Statistical Office said the quickening pace of the rise was largely due to higher wages paid in companies with less than 50 employees. Their gross wages increased by 15.8 percent compared to the second quarter of 2004. The last time there was a similar increase in wages was in the second quarter of 2001, when the year-on-year rise in the wages was 15 percent.
The average gross monthly wages rose the most in 2004 in the hotels and restaurant sphere, up 20.8 percent.
In mining, the average gross wages fell by 1.9 percent. The average gross wages in April amounted to 7,849 kroons, 8,110 kroons in May and 8,845 koons in June.
Export of goods up by nearly a quarter this year
Aug 25 - In a report by the Statistical Office, the export of goods from Estonia contracted by 2 percent against May 2004, but grew by 24.6 percent against June 2004,
According to the Statistical Office, the import of goods increased by 15.9 percent in a year, but declined by 2.8 percent against May figures for 2004. Shortfall of the foreign trade balance amounted to one billion kroons, as high as in May. The foreign trade turnover declined in June by two percent, to 17.9 billion kroons. Exports accounted for 44 percent or 7.8 billion kroons of the June turnover, while imports accounted for 56 percent, 10.1 billion kroons. Compared to May, there was a fall in the export of mainly means of transport, wood and wood products as well as mineral products. At the same time export of machinery and installations considerably increased.
Compared to May figures, in June imports fell mainly in terms of means of transport, metals and metal products.
At the same time import of machinery, installations and mineral products considerably increased.
In June export into European Union countries accounted for 79 percent and CIS countries accounted for 8 percent of the total.
Imports from EU countries accounted for 78 percent of the total and 10 percent from CIS countries.
Mobile Phone Users about to surpass number of population
Aug 24 - The Estonian mobile communications operator EMT has forecast that the number of contractual clients and that of call cards will reach 1.4 million by the end of August, surpassing the Estonian population.
EMT board chairman, Valdo Kalm said that the number of people using SIM cards makes up about 85 percent of the total number of SIM cards in use.
Some people use several SIMs at a time and SIM cards are also used in various mobile operated services, such as for mobile-opened gates or mobile-controlled sauna furnaces, Kalm said.
Rivo Mets, head of the Communications Board regulated markets division, says that in the first half of the year the number of users of mobile services increased to 98.9 percent of the Estonian population. He said the 100-percent figure should be reached during the third quarter of this year in Estonia.
This summer EMT launched the sale of EDGE cards for use in computers. A hundred of them have been sold already and the company said the sales are growing at a rapid pace.
According to EMT (Eesti Mobiil Telefon) there are a total of nearly 92,000 mobile data communication service users in Estonia.
Currency Rates in Kroons
August 28, 2005
British pound - GBP - 22.945
Canadian dollar - CAD - 10.644
Swiss franc - CHF - 10.115
Danish krone - DKK - 2.098
Japanese yen - JPY - 0.116
Latvian lat - LVL - 22.480
Lithuanian lit - LTL - 4.532
Norwegian krone - NOK - 1.971
Russian rouble - RUB - 0.447
Swedish krona - SEK - 1.677
US dollar - USD - 12.707
Euro - EUR - 15.647
CULTURAL NEWS
Composer, Ülo Krigul received an honorary award at the Young Euro Classic 2005
August 23 - Estonian composer, Ülo Krigul received an honorary award at the music festival, "Young Euro Classic 2005" for his piece, Jenzeits. The award included an honorary address by the Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit and 5000 euros.
The festival took place from August 5-22. During the festival, more than 2000 musicians from 13 countries performed. Besides German orchestras and international collectives, youth orchestras from China, Italy, Ukraine, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, Poland, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the USA and Estonia also performed at the festival.
Young Euro Classic - Europäischer Musik Sommer Berlin was first organized in 2000. Besides classical works, the orchestras also present pieces by young composers from their respective countries. A jury consisting of representatives from the German general public then judges these pieces.
The world premiere of the piece, "Jenzeits" took place at the Berlin concert hall on August 8.
EESTI RINGVAADE is compiled from local news services, including BNS, and is issued by the Press and Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Eesti Ringvaade is also available through the Internet at http://www.vm.ee
To subscribe please contact: vmpress@vm.ee
 
|
|
