Estonian Review E E S T I R I N G V A A D E VOLUME 17 NO 14 APR 4- 10, 2007 DOMESTIC NEWS FOREIGN NEWS President Ilves: Estonia's Swiss President Calls Estonia Brightest of New EU Citizenship Policy More Liberal Members Than of Many Other EU States Apr 9 - Meeting with Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, Apr 10 - Answering questions from the Swiss president and foreign minister, Micheline Calmy- BBC Russia and readers of the Russian Rey, described Estonia as the most effulgent of the new EU portal Rambler.ru, Estonian President member states. Toomas Hendrik Ilves explained that Calmy-Rey, who was in Estonia on a one-day visit, hailed the citizenship law of Estonia was Estonia's reforms and rapid development, saying that Switzerland significantly more liberal than the wishes to promote cooperation with Estonia in the fields of respective laws of many other EU economy, environment, science and social development. states. Ansip said that cooperation with Switzerland and especially "When it's asked why we couldn’t make development of economic relations with that country are our laws more European, I would answer: important also for Estonia, as Switzerland ranks as the second If you take the laws of Sweden, Germany, largest trading partner for the EU after the United States and is a the laws of many other countries, you can world leader in a number of areas of technology. see that there's no European law that we The prime minister thanked Switzerland for the financial are violating," Ilves said. support offered to the new EU members that joined the union on The president said Estonia wouldn't May 1, 2004. Switzerland extended a billion Swiss francs to the have been able to join the EU if it didn't fresh EU members, including the equivalent of some 400 million meet EU standards. Other countries have kroons for Estonia. much stricter requirements as regards Calmy-Rey also met with Foreign Minister Urmas Paet. Both command of the official language than parties stated that the relations between Estonia and Switzerland Estonia and significantly tougher are very good, although there could be more political contacts. requirements concerning the time that a "Communication between the two countries could be more person must have lived in the country, he intense. Particularly in the field of economic relations by far not all added. possibilities have been made use of," Paet said. He added, that When asked why Estonia isn't granting the projects financed by Switzerland are expected to contribute to citizenship to all people who lived in its Estonia's overall rapid development and add momentum also to territory when independence was restored, cooperation between the two countries," Paet said. the president said that the behavior of Paet and Calmy-Rey exchanged thoughts also about the people who had come to live in Estonia situation in Western Balkans. Speaking about the status of during 50 years of occupation and hadn't Kosovo, the parties found that the solution must be in harmony bothered to learn the language caused with the Europe outlook of the entire region. They also expressed fear. their support for the proposals of Martti Ahtisaari, special envoy of Estonians are firmly convinced that a the UN secretary general, as regards the future status of Kosovo. citizen of the country must respect the state and learn the language to at least a small degree, he said. "By the way, it's not so very deep knowledge of the Estonian language that is being required. The command of the language that is required from people wishing to acquire citizenship is minimal indeed," he said. Minors born in Estonia after 1992 whose parents are not citizens of the country can get citizenship automatically, on the basis of an application written by their parents, Ilves said. "Then there's the category of people who have opted for Russian citizenship. Why have they decided that way? Obviously there are many reasons, such as not needing a visa to travel to Russia, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and the Swiss maybe some other reasons as well, but president and foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey in these people have themselves chosen that Tallinn, 9 April. citizenship," the President said. FOREIGN NEWS and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Members of the Estonian rescue team have taken part in IHP President Discusses Energy, operations since 2005. Infrastructure Issues with Polish Prime The budget of the Estonian Foreign Ministry sets Minister aside 23 million kroons for development and Apr 4 - Meeting in Warsaw, Estonian President humanitarian aid this year. Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski addressed a Estonia Could Become Candidate of OECD number of energy and infrastructure issues. Apr 9 - Estonia could become candidate Among other things Ilves, currently on a working member of the Organization for Economic visit to Poland, and Kaczynski discussed Cooperation and Development (OECD). development of Via Baltica and Rail Baltica, issues of Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that of member the building of the Baltic Sea gas pipeline and the countries of the European Union Estonia and Ignalina nuclear power plant. Slovenia had been mentioned as possible OECD Speaking about the rail and road links through candidate members, but the support of all members the Baltic countries, Ilves said that creation of better of OECD is required for inclusion in the extension list communications between the ever closer connected and the definition process is still going on in OECD. European countries was of critical importance in the The intention is to present the list of candidate European economic space. members to the OECD ministerial meeting in Paris Both Ilves and Kaczynski admitted that all on May 15-16. European countries would have to take joint efforts Estonia has expressed the wish to accede to and carefully assess all kinds of initiatives, such as OECD at various high-level meetings. Formally, the the Baltic Sea gas pipeline. "The Baltic Sea is our invitation for accession is presented to a country common sea. It is therefore necessary for the Baltic meeting the accession criteria by OECD. rim countries to very seriously consider the environmental risks connected with that pipeline," Ilves said. DOMESTIC NEWS Foreign Ministry Gives Money to Boost New Government Takes Oath of Office International Rescue Team's Capabilities Apr 5 - The new Estonian government headed by Reform Party Chairman Andrus Ansip took Apr 9 - The Foreign Ministry is about to its oath of office this morning in parliament. contribute more than 3.6 million kroons (EUR Prime Minister Andrus Ansip read out the oath of 0.23 mln) toward a three-year program to office, promising to remain loyal to Estonia's enhance the capabilities of the Estonian rescue constitutional order and signing the text of the oath, team taking part in international operations. upon which all the ministers of the new government The ministry will give the rescue team 3,646,428 signed the oath. kroons from its budgetary funds earmarked for By taking the oath of office the government development and humanitarian aid. officially took over governance of the country. The goal of the project is to raise the readiness of The Reform Party is represented in the new the rescue team for operations of the International government by Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, Justice Humanitarian Partnership (IHP) and missions Minister Rein Lang, Culture Minister Laine Jänes, abroad, its domestic crisis management readiness, Social Affairs Minister Maret Maripuu and and intensify cooperation with IHP member states. Environment Minister Jaanus Tamkivi. The three-year training and investment program is The ministers of the Pro Patria and Res Publica based on the document setting out the directions of Union (IRL) in the new government are Helir-Valdor development of the Estonian rescue authorities for Seeder (agriculture), Tõnis Lukas (education and 2008-2011 and the national development plan on science), Juhan Parts (economic affairs and development cooperation and humanitarian aid for communications), Jaak Aaviksoo (defence) and Vallo 2006-2010, and it will be carried out by personnel Reimaa (public administration). from the Rescue Board. Finance Minister Ivari Padar, Interior Minister Jüri "For Estonia's it is important to support Pihl and Population Minister Urve Palo represent the international activity in the field of humanitarian Social-Democratic Party in the ruling coalition. aid," Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said. He added that raising the level of readiness of the rescue team President Ilves Met with the New was important also for successfully solving domestic crises. Government The aims of IHP include providing of operational Apr 5 - President Toomas Hendrik Ilves international support for multilateral organizations, received the Government of the Republic led by fostering of cooperation between partners in Andrus Ansip, who had given their oath of humanitarian response, improving of effectiveness office in the Riigikogu. and efficiency in humanitarian response operations The Estonian Head of State wished the members and deploying specialized surge capacity (people of the new government cabinet success and team and equipment) for the UN and other multilateral spirit. “Cooperate closely with the civil society, the agencies. intelligentsia, and the opposition. Make Estonia The members of IHP are the state agencies larger so that it would be a good place good place to responsible for the protection of the population of live for all residents,” President Ilves urged the Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, the UK ministers. Department for International Development (DFID) “I hope the Government will endure solidly for The media holding Ekspress Grupp, in its post- the next four years, but this is only possible if you IPO debut, jumped 20.36 percent to 111.09 kroons work as an integrated team,” added the Estonian or 7.1 euros in 1,877 trades worth 137.71 million Head of State.