Estonian Review E E S T I R I N G V a a D E VOLUME 20 NO 39 NOV 5 - 11, 2010
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Estonian Review E E S T I R I N G V A A D E VOLUME 20 NO 39 NOV 5 - 11, 2010 FOREIGN NEWS FOREIGN NEWS Supporting Georgia’s Territorial Integrity is Fundamentally Important 10 November - During his meeting today with Georgian Foreign Ministry Gregory Vashadze, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet emphasised that Estonia supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Both European Union and NATO member states must clearly observe Georgia’s territorial integrity and give practical weight to the non-recognition policy of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on a daily basis,” stated Foreign Minister Paet. “The strong and visible presence of the European Union in Georgia is also necessary,” stated Paet. “Therefore the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia is currently Foreign Minister Paet with Canadian Foreign Minister irreplaceable for preventing new conflicts; the Lawrence Cannon, 5 November. mission should also have access to the regions Canadian Foreign and Defence Ministers Say of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” he added. Estonia is Valued Ally in Ensuring Security In talking about Georgia’s integration with NATO and the EU, Foreign Minister Paet noted 5 November - At their meetings with Foreign Minister that it is important for Georgia to continue its Urmas Paet, Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon domestic and economic reforms. “Developing and Defence Minister Peter MacKay recognised Estonia’s economic relations between the EU and important and visible contribution to building up Georgia is a part of the broader integration Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Paet said that both Estonian and with the Union. Beginning negotiations for a Canadian soldiers work to stabilise the security situation in comprehensive free trade agreement is also a southern Afghanistan. Paet gave Cannon an overview of step towards EU integration. We have offered Estonia’s civil contribution to developing the health care system Georgia help in preparing for negotiations and in Helmand Province. “In its civil aid, Estonia focuses first and implementing reforms,” stated Foreign foremost on health care, improving the situation of women and Minister Paet. “We also support visa children, and establishing good administrative practices,” he facilitation coming into effect for citizens of added. Defence Minister McKay stated that Estonia’s soldiers Georgia travelling to the European Union,” he are highly valued allies in ensuring security in Afghanistan’s added. Helmand Province. Paet confirmed to Vashadze that Georgia Foreign Minister Paet invited Canada to participate in the will remain one of Estonia’s development co- Eastern Partnership Training Centre that will be established in operation priority countries in Estonia’s new Tallinn. “The training centre will focus on increasing development co-operation action plan for administrative capacity in the public sector of Eastern 2011-2015. Paet proposed to his colleague to Partnership states and on sharing reform experiences. The hold bilateral development co-operation participation of Canada and all of our international partners is related consultations at the beginning of 2011. welcome,” he stated. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet also Paet asserted that Estonia-Canada co-operation has been recommended that Georgia use the successful in the development aid sector as well. “In co- opportunities offered within the framework of operation with Canada we have shared economic policy EU Neighbourhood Policy and Eastern experiences with Ukrainian state officials and helped to alleviate Partnership to their fullest extent. the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti,” said Paet. While discussing bilateral relations, Paet Paet noted that Estonia would like to intensify relations with and Vashadze agreed that in order to intensify Canada by expanding its network of honorary consuls. “Estonia Estonia-Georgia economic relations, the legal just opened an honorary consulate in Halifax, and starting base must be further developed. “We are today a new honorary consul will begin working in Quebec,” he interested in an agreement for the protection stated. of investments and a social security Paet and Cannon also discussed developments in the Arctic. agreement coming into force as soon as Continued on page 2 possible,” Paet asserted. Canadian Ministers long time already extended beyond military activity. “Afghanistan is Estonia’s bilateral development co- (continued from page 1) operation priority partner, and therefore our Paet said that Estonia would like for the role of the development aid and our efforts to stabilise the European Union in Arctic issues to increase and that security situation are focused on Helmand Province. the EU should gain observer status in the Arctic We wish to contribute to the health care and Council. “Because the Arctic is so vulnerable, all of education sectors,” stated the foreign minister, us co-operating is inevitable and would be beneficial confirming that Estonia will continue to co-ordinate for the environmental, economic and security health care matters in the UK-led Provincial sectors,” said Paet. Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Lashkar Gah. Paet At his meeting with Canadian Minister of Defence said that Estonia would like for aid co-operation to Peter McKay, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that develop into co-operation between the societies as Canada is welcome to participate in the work of the soon as possible. NATO Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Estonia. Governor Mangal said that Helmand Province has “Cyber crime does not recognise borders, which is clearly progressed in its development during the why international co-operation is extremely past few years, although the situation remains important for ensuring cyber security,” Paet complicated. Remarkable progress has been made in emphasised. Helmand during the past two years in both the Paet and McKay also addressed co-operation in security situation as well as in health care and NATO, including NATO’s new Strategic Concept, education. matters related to the Afghanistan mission, and Paet emphasised that one factor that is Estonia-Canada bilateral defence co-operation. necessary for developing Afghanistan’s society is the Canada was the first NATO member state to ratify efforts of the Afghan government to integrate the Estonia’s NATO accession protocol. nation and support domestic reconciliation. “In the reconciliation of society, it is important that reforms Georgian Foreign Minister Invites in the name of integration cannot take place at the Estonian Speaker to Visit Georgian expense of human rights, especially those of Parliament women,” stressed the Estonian foreign minister. At their meeting, Paet and Mangal also discussed 11 November (BNS) - The foreign minister of Afghanistan’s parliamentary election that took place Georgia, Gregory Vashadze, delivered an in the fall and prerequisites for transferring invitation to Speaker of the Estonian responsibility for the security situation in different Parliament Ene Ergma from Georgian regions of Afghanistan. “Afghan President Karzai has Parliamentary Speaker David Bakradze to visit said that the Afghan security forces will be ready to Georgia. take on security responsibilities as of 2014. The fact During their meeting in Tallinn, Ergma gave the that the elections went fairly smoothly in Helmand Georgian foreign minister an overview of the role of Province shows that the Afghan army and police are the Estonian parliament in handling of the state constantly developing the capability to keep the budget and of the austerity policy during the peace in Afghanistan,” said Paet. “From Estonia’s economically difficult times. Ergma and Vashadze perspective, the most recent developments seem to also spoke about the tasks and the role of the suggest that in some regions of Afghanistan the opposition in the parliaments of the two countries as transfer may gradually begin,” Paet noted. well as on the local level, spokespeople for the Governor of Helmand Province Mangal will meet Estonian parliament said. this week with members of Riigikogu and In the words of Vashadze, the problem of the representatives of the foreign and defence Georgian opposition is its fragmentation, as people ministries. He will also participate in the do not gather on the basis of ideology but of international conference “Women, Peace and persons. At the same time, in the local elections for Security—the Afghan View” taking place in Tallinn the first time the focus lay on important topics such from 11-12 November. as social issues and the economy, peaceful transfer of power took pace and international organisations considered the elections democratic. Estonia knows from its own experience how important support from other countries is on the path of democratic reform, Ergma said, adding that Estonia supports Georgia in every way and contributes to increasing the visibility of the EU there. All Forms of Co-operation Between Estonia and Afghanistan to Intensify 9 November - Bilateral relations between Estonia and Afghanistan are becoming closer and more diverse all the time, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet acknowledged today during his Foreign Minister Urmas Paet with Governor of meeting with Governor of Afghanistan’s Helmand Province Gulab Mangal, 9 November. Helmand Province Gulab Mangal. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that co- operation between Estonia and Afghanistan has for a President Stresses Importance of Via prevalent in the region and restoring trust and Baltica in Meeting with Latvian PM understanding among people,”