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Estonian Review: July 25 - August 7, 2005
10.08.2005
TOP NEWS
FOREIGN NEWS
DEFENCE NEWS
DOMESTIC NEWS
ECONOMIC NEWS
CULTURAL NEWS
TOP NEWS
Estonia to considerably increase foreign aid
Aug 04 - Foreign aid set aside by the Estonian Foreign Ministry's budget to developing countries and disaster areas will increase by 40-50 million kroons (EUR 2.5-3.2 mln) by the year 2010; this year the sum earmarked for foreign aid was eight million kroons.
According to Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, under the action plan proposed by the United Nations and the European Union (EU) the aim is to increase foreign aid by 0.1 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by the year 2010.
Raising the share of foreign aid to 0.1 percent of GDP will increase the development aid provided by the Foreign Ministry's budget by 40-50 million kroons.
The amount of foreign aid the country donates is also increased by money generated by other ministries' budgets and also by Estonia's payments into the overall EU budget. Paet said support to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine would remain among the top priorities of Estonia's foreign aid programme.
Last year the sum total of Estonia's foreign aid was 103 million kroons, 0.079 percent of GDP. The size was so high due to Estonia's first payment to the European Union, of which 72.4 million kroons went to finance the European Commission's development aid and was counted as part of the country's contribution to development aid. Of the total eight million kroons earmarked for foreign aid this year 3.7 million kroons was spent in the first half of the year.
Estonia's President meets with the President of the Republic of Lithuania
Jul 29 - Estonian President, Arnold Rüütel greeted the President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus and Mrs. Alma Adamkiene in Kuressaare who had arrived to a two-day working visit to Estonia. Among the topics discussed during the visit were bilateral relations between Estonia and Lithuania, Baltic cooperation issues, matters related to the further development of the EU, and the EU neighbourhood policy. On Friday afternoon, the heads of state opened an exhibition devoted to Lithuania at the Kuressaare Cultural Centre. They planted an oak sapling in the town park, to add to an already established grove of trees, which symbolises the bond between heads of state. In the evening, the President of the Republic and Mrs. Ingrid Rüütel hosted a festive dinner in honour of the President of the Republic of Lithuania and Mrs. Alma Adamkiene at Kuressaare Castle. Following dinner, they attended the performance of Rubinshtein's opera The Demon, which was apart of the programme at the Kuressaare Opera Days. On Saturday, the Lithuanian presidential couple visited Vilsandi National Park and Kaali Visitors Centre, and in the evening attended a gala concert held within the framework of Kuressaare Opera Days.
Estonia's Kanter takes discus silver at Athletics World Championships
Aug 08 - Estonia's Gerd Kanter came second after two-time Olympic champion Virgilius Alekna in the discus event at the World Athletics Championships in Helsinki.
The 33-year-old Lithuanian's last round effort of 70.17 meters -- a championship record -- smashed Kanter's hopes of winning the gold with 68.57 meters while Germany's Michael Mollenbeck took bronze with 65.95 meters.
Kanter, who had earlier in the season pushed the Estonian national record to 70.10 meters, went past Alekna in the fourth round, but with his stunning performance in the final throw the Lithuanian retained his world championship title. Estonian Aleksander Tammert (64.84 meters) finished in fourth place.
FOREIGN NEWS
Baltic Sea recognized as particularly sensitive sea area
Jul 25 - The Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization passed at its meeting in London a resolution declaring the Baltic Sea a particularly sensitive sea area.
The final confirmation of the sea's status as a particularly sensitive area has to come from the 24th session of the IMO assembly, which will take place in November or December, spokespeople for the Estonian Environment Ministry said.
If the IMO assembly confirms the suggested measures to toughen navigation safety, the new status of the Baltic Sea will come into effect from July 1, 2006. The committee's resolution exempts sea areas, which under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 fall under Russia's jurisdiction.
Recognition of the sea as a particularly sensitive area equals international acknowledgement of the fact that ever growing ship traffic may harm the sea's sensitive ecological system and therefore special measures have to be taken to protect it. Daily 2 000 ships on the average sail the Baltic Sea, among them around 200 tankers. In addition, there are constantly 2 000 fishing vessels in the sea. One of the most dangerous cargoes is oil. An oil spill would have a devastating effect on the marine environment.
Countries bordering the Baltic and the Nordic seas proposed to declare the Baltic Sea a particularly sensitive sea area at a joint marine environment protection meeting in Bremen, Germany in June 2003.
DEFENCE NEWS
German fighters testing Tallinn airfield
Aug 02 - A German Air Force F-4 Phantom fighter jet, now patrolling the Baltic air space, landed on the Tallinn airfield. The fighter crew is briefing employees of the airport about aircraft security measures, a spokesman for the Estonian Defence Forces reported. The German pilots also inspected the airport, tested the runway and surveyed the airport's auxiliary services.
NATO member country fighter jets have been policing the Baltic air space since 29 March 2004. Belgian, Danish, British, Norwegian and Dutch airmen have already taken part in the mission. After the Germans' three-month mission is concluded, a US Air Force contingent with four F-16 fighters will be stationed in Zokniai, Lithuania. As of 1 January 2006, Poland will take over the mission with MiG-29s and a Turkish contingent will replace them as of 1 April.
The Estonian Scouts Battalion first team win the Erna Raid competition
Aug 06 - In a field of 25 four-member teams from eight countries, the Estonian Scouts Battalion first team won this year's Erna Raid military competition ahead of the Reconnaissance Battalion and Defence College teams, a spokesman for the competition reports.
All who finished the competition deserve praise, the chief referee, Lt. Col. Mark E. Bergeson from the United States, said, adding that only people in excellent physical form could cope with such a tough trail, especially considering the difficulty of the terrain and set tasks.
Defence Forces Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Alar Laneman voiced the opinion that teams participating in the competition have become more and more professional. "Erna enables us to get essential information about other fields as well. The countries taking part in the competition put the training of their best soldiers as well as the reliability of state-of-the-art equipment to the test in this trial of strength," he said.
The first Erna trip took place in the summer of 1993 when a group of history enthusiasts traversed the North Estonian wilderness along the route taken by the legendary Erna reconnaissance group in summer 1941. Trained in Finland, the group penetrated far inland and put up fierce resistance to Soviet destroyer battalions, making it possible for civilians hiding in the woods to escape.
DOMESTIC NEWS
More than 800 000 ID cards issued in Estonia
Jul 25 - The Estonian Citizenship and Migration Board has issued a total of 803 916 ID cards, including 175 224 to foreigners holding an Estonian residence permit. Valid ID cards number 751 616, thus nearly 56 per cent of the country's population has an identity card.
43 per cent of valid ID owners are men and 57 per cent women. This year ID cards have been issued to 135 109 people. The number of ID cards is expected to cross the one million mark in 2007.
The ID card is a mandatory identification document for Estonian nationals starting from 15 years of age and for all foreigners living permanently in this country on the basis of a residence permit regardless of their age.
Estonian government gives nod to tourist visas
Jul 28 - The Estonian government approved amendments to the aliens' law, which allow issuing single visas for up to five days to tourists without an invitation from a resident.
The government charged the Foreign Ministry to monitor the possible growth of expenses arising from the issuing of short-term tourist visas and file by next summer an application for extra funds, spokespeople for the government said. Under the effective regulations, a short-term visa can be granted for a single uninterrupted stay in Estonia or for multiple stays of a maximum 90 days in six months.
The bill approved by the government provides for the issuing of single visas for up to five days with the purpose of using a travel or an entertainment service. The short-term visas are expected to boost the number of tourists arriving in Estonia from third countries.
An additional condition for issuing a five-day tourist visa is for the person's financial situation to enable him to meet the expenses. The visitor must be able to cover the cost of the stay in Estonia. The bill does not ease other conditions for issuing a visa nor the circumstances under which a visa is refused.
ECONOMIC NEWS
IMF forecasts up to 7 pct economic growth for Estonia
Jul 22 - An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, ending its two-week stay in Estonia, forecast up to seven per cent economic growth and up to 3.5 per cent inflation for Estonia for this year. "The macroeconomic outlook for 2005 remains favourable, but with some upside risks for inflation," the IMF delegation said in its concluding statement.
In the opinion of the IMF, real GDP is projected to be about seven percent in 2005, driven by domestic demand with some support from the external sector, although the latter is subject to downside risks in light of the weaker than expected external environment.
"Average headline inflation is projected to accelerate to about 3.5 percent from 3 percent in 2004, as a result of rapidly growing energy prices, increased administered electricity prices, and EU-related increases of tobacco and fuel excises. Inflation is projected to lessen somewhat in 2006. However, there are risks that continued rapid credit growth and further fiscal stimulus could fuel second-round effects and result in higher inflation in 2006 when Estonia will be evaluated for adoption of the euro, IMF said.
The current account deficit is projected to decline to about 11 percent of GDP in 2005, with private saving expected to recover with the expansion of the second-pillar of the pension system.
In the budget policy, IMF said, a fiscal surplus of at last the same size as that achieved in 2004 should be targeted in 2005.
IMF warns that the announced increase of the basic pension in 2006 (amounting to around 0.5 percentage points of GDP) could put pressure on the fiscal balance despite the higher revenues expected from a slower pace in the reduction of the tax rate on income. Moreover, some of the proposed revenue measures (for example, higher excises and increased dividends from state-owned companies) have undesirable side effects.
In the opinion of IMF the government's wage bill has increased significantly (by around 0.5 percent of GDP), in recent years as a result of increases in health and education employment and a sizeable increase in healthcare wages.
"Given the increase in the size of the government over the past several years, controlling expenditure growth, especially in light of growing demand for healthcare services in Estonia's rapidly aging population, should be improved to preserve the relatively favourable tax environment which has been clearly beneficial to Estonia over the past decade," the International Monetary Fund said.
Currency Rates in Kroons
August 7, 2005
British pound - GBP - 22.467
Canadian dollar - CAD - 10.409
Swiss franc - CHF - 10.036
Danish krone - DKK - 2.097
Japanese yen - JPY - 0.113
Latvian lat - LVL - 22.481
Lithuanian lit - LTL - 4.531
Norwegian krone - NOK - 1.989
Russian rouble - RUB - 0.445
Swedish krona - SEK - 1.676
US dollar - USD - 12.640
Euro - EUR - 15.646
CULTURAL NEWS
XIII Viljandi Folk Music Festival
Jul 31 - Every year there is a new angle to the festival. The festival programme this year focused on bowed instruments.
Well known in Estonia are violins, bowed harps, moldpills and bladder instruments (folkstyle bowed instruments), violas, cellos, double bass, viola da gambas, viola da braccios, nyckelharpas and other bowed instruments.
There were about 400 performers. In addition to a wide variety of Estonian folk artists, various artists from different countries performed (Finland, Canada, Poland, Hungary, Norway, Denmark, France etc). More than a hundred concerts took place in Viljandi and Viljandi County. There were three indoor concert venues and five open-air stages in the town. The festival included traditional workshops, Handicraft Yard and Fairy-tale Chamber. The Green Stage programme was free during the whole Festival. A week before the Festival there was the Young Folk Musicians Camp Estonian ETNO.
International Landscape Architecture Festival "Between Water and Water"
Jul 31 - The Festival took place in Tartu from 29-31 July. The topic was "Temporary Gardens".
The main aim was to introduce environment saving landscape architecture to the audience through workshops, performances and a family day. There was a live concert every evening and DJ music during the day.
Participants were from 16 countries: Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Latvia, Argentina, Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia, Singapore, Australia, China, USA, Hungary and Slovenia.
Festival Carinthian Summer will be dedicated to Arvo Pärt
Aug 05 - The festival Carinthian Summer taking place from 10 July-28 August will be dedicated to the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. The festival is taking place in Carinthia, Austria's southernmost province.
The Carinthian Summer came into being in 1969 and today, ranks among the most important festivals in Austria. Every year the festival hosts well known artists from all over the world.
The festival celebrates the 70th Anniversary of Arvo Pärt. Arvo Pärt's music will be presented at 18 concerts and events, including 8 church opera performances.
http://www.carinthischersommer.at
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
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