Estonian Review E E S T I R I N G V A A D E VOLUME 19 NO 5 JAN 28 - FEB 3, 2009

FOREIGN NEWS FOREIGN NEWS Estonia to Open Embassy in Belarus President of the Republic Accepted 29 January - The Government of Estonia approved an Credentials from Four New order to establish an embassy of the Republic of Ambassadors Estonia in the capital of Belarus, Minsk. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that the government’s decision reflects both the more open policy of the European Union towards Belarus as well as Estonia’s interest in intensifying bilateral relations. “We are interested in gradually opening Belarus up to Europe,” said Paet. “However, while we are creating closer relations, all the European Union’s positions on improving the condition of human rights and freedoms in Belarus still apply,” he emphasised. “The establishment of an embassy creates better conditions for developing bilateral relations and for beginning all sorts of co-operation projects,” said Foreign Minister Paet. “The existence of an embassy also provides opportunities for energising economic relations between the President greeting two nations,” Paet asserted. “The investment climate in Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Belarus has become more liberal and Estonian investments Bangledesh Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, 29 in Belarus have increased exponentially over the past few January. years. When the economic situation stabilises, the export of 29 January - In , President Toomas Estonian goods to Belarus could also hold great potential,” Hendrik Ilves met with the Ambassadors of he explained. Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, The embassy will begin functioning in the space Bangladesh, and Canada, who presented currently used by the Estonian consulate general. A charge their credentials to the head of state. d’affaires will be dispatched to Minsk to replace the director Credentials were presented by Vera Mavrić, of the consulate general and begin directing the activities of the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, who the embassy. The expenses tied to establishing an embassy resides in Helsinki; Darko Zelenika, the will be covered by the budget of the Foreign Ministry. Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who Estonia has had a consulate general in Minsk since 1995, resides in Stockholm; Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, but in accordance with diplomatic practices, the consulate is the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of not able to fulfil all the responsibilities of a diplomatic Bangladesh, who resides in Moscow; and Scott representation. Heatherington, the Ambassador of Canada, who resides in Riga. Holland to Represent Estonia for Issuing Visas in Nigeria and Kenya 31 January - Beginning on 1 February, the embassy of the in Abuja, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya will begin issuing Schengen visas on behalf of Estonia. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Estonia’s goal in concluding representation agreements is to simplify travel to Estonia. “It makes applying for a visa simpler for travelers that live in countries where Estonia doesn’t have a representation,” said Paet. In countries where Estonia does not have its own foreign representation, Estonia may be represented for the issuing of visas by another European Union nation that belongs to the common visa space. The representing is meant only for the issuing of visas and does not include any other consular services. Applications for short-term visas, transit visas, and airport transit visas can be brought to representations of President Toomas Hendrik Ilves with member states standing in for Estonia. For a long-term visa or Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Vera residency permit, an applicant must still turn to the nearest Mavrić, 29 January. foreign representation of the Republic of Estonia. Continued on page 2

Schengen Visas Estonian Added to Google Translate (continued from page 1) 2 February (BNS) - Estonian was one of the Estonia has signed representation agreements for seven new languages added to Google the issuing of Schengen visas with , Germany, Translate over the weekend. , Hungary, and Slovenia. Negotiations for The other languages were Albanian, Galician, representation agreements are underway with many Hungarian, Maltese, Thai and Turkish. The translator other Schengen states. website now supports 44 languages. Hungary represents Estonia in six countries – Moldova, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Changes Made in Schengen Visa Macedonia, Pakistan and India. Germany represents Application and Issuing Procedure Estonia in 16 countries – Angola, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, 1 February - In accordance with the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Jamaica, Madagascar, implementation of the Schengen acquis in the Oman, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Trinidad and consular representations of Estonia, starting Tobago, and Uganda. Latvia represents Estonia in on 1 March 2009 the process of applying for Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and and issuing Schengen visas for minors that Slovenia currently represents Estonia in Montenegro. travel with a parent and are also included in Finland represents Estonia for issuing visas in the the parent’s travel document will change. United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Indonesia, Beginning on 1 March, consular representations will Namibia, Peru, Serbia, Syria, Thailand, Tanzania, beginning following the principle that a visa payment and Tunisia. must be made for each separate individual’s visa. The current system has a visa sticker carrying Estonian Ambassador to San Marino the appropriate mark and indicating the number of minors being issued as a visa for children under the Presents Credentials age of 15 that are included in their parent’s 3 February - Ambassador of the Republic of passport. The state fee is paid for the processing of Estonia to the Republic of San Marino Andres only one visa application. Tomasberg presented his credentials to Beginning on 1 March, a separate visa application Captain Regents of San Marino Ernesto must be filled out and a state fee must be paid for Benedettini and Assunta Meloni. every minor included in the parent’s passport. The In the discussion following the credential- child will be issued his or her own visa sticker, which presenting ceremony, the parties discussed the need will be placed in the parent’s passport. to further develop ties in the economic, tourism and The state fee for a Schengen visa is 60 euros. cultural realms. “San Marino is an interesting Citizens of countries that are issued European Union vacation destination for Estonians, and we should visas on the basis of a visa facilitation agreement definitely develop tourism ties,” said Ambassador must pay 35 euros for a visa. Tomasberg. They also talked about co-operation opportunities in international organisations. Estonia established diplomatic ties with San DOMESTIC NEWS Marino on 9 July 2003. San Marino is the world’s oldest democracy, as it has functioned under such a President Ilves Opens IT Demo Centre in system for 1 702 years already. Andres Tomasberg was born in 1960. He graduated from Tartu University with a degree in French language and literature. Tomasberg has been involved in diplomatic work since 1991, when he began working at the Foreign Ministry. From 1993- 1997, Andres Tomasberg was the ambassador to France, becoming also the ambassador to in 1995 and to Portugal in 1996 (residing in Paris). From 1997-2000 Tomasberg worked as the chef de cabinet in the Foreign Ministry, and beginning in 1998 he was the ambassador to Turkey, residing in Tallinn. From 2000-2004, Andres Tomasberg was the ambassador to Turkey and Spain, residing in Madrid, and beginning in 2001 he was also the non- resident ambassador to Morocco. Before he was President Toomas Hendrik Ilves speaking at appointed as ambassador to Italy, Toomas worked the opening of the new IT Demo Centre in as the chef de cabinet in the Foreign Ministry. Tallinn, 29 January. Tomasberg has been the ambassador to Malta since

2006, residing in Rome. 29 January - President Toomas Hendrik Ilves Andres Tomasberg speaks French, Spanish, opened the information technology and Italian, English, Finnish and Russian. The communications technology Demo Centre in ambassador resides in Rome. Tallinn’s Ülemiste City, where ICT companies

will introduce solutions intended for the

governmental and private sector. “Our success depends on innovation, the discovery of new ideas and their implementation. This is one of the engines and life lines for the memorial to the War of Independence and a church Estonian economy,” the president said. service will take place in Narva’s Alexander Church. As the patron for the Innovation Year, President The annual Defence Forces parade will also be held Ilves expressed his satisfaction that the Demo in Narva. On the same day, a celebratory concert Centre was created in co-operation with several and the formal reception of the President of the parties. “The importance of the Demo Centre is also Republic and Mrs Evelin Ilves will take place in the increased by the fact that several large international evening in Jõhvi Concert Hall. IT companies have contributed to this enterprise,” The formal events will be attended by the he said. President of the Republic, the speaker of the Riigikogu, the prime minister, members of the Possible Basement of Medieval House government and Riigikogu, and representatives of Unearthed in Excavations in Central the diplomatic corps.

Square 3 February - Archeologists have found what they believe are the remains of the basement of a medieval house outside the city walls during excavations in the central Vabaduse Square in Tallinn, the daily Eesti Paevaleht reported. Archeologist Villu Kadakas, who supervises the dig, said that nothing else but the basement had survived of the house, but it was presumably a multi-storied wooden dwelling. “The basement under the dwelling was quite typical, used instead of the modern refrigerator," Kadakas said. The archeologist said other such houses could be unearthed from Vabaduse Square as the excavations had reached a zone that could have been densely The parade of the Defence Forces in honour of populated. the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. Kadakas said that the house stood in what was Pärnu, 24 February 2008. formerly Pärnu Maantee, which in earlier times ran along the present Roosikrantsi Street. Pärnu Environment Board to be Headed by Maantee was one of the main highways leading to Andres Onemar the city, and the city gates were quite close so it was logical for the place to be settled. 28 January - The senior public servants "Rather than wealthier folk, it was probably accreditation commission at the Estonian State where poorer people lived," Kadakas said. Chancellery today proposed to appoint Andres Although the find was not very unexpected, Onemar director general of the newly-formed Kadakas said that it was unique because no earlier Environment Board that is to start work next houses of Tallinn's suburbs had been unearthed so month. The new agency was formed by unifying far and so there was not much information about existing environmental services. them. Onemar currently works as development director The other stories of the building will apparently of the state forests management centre RMK. He is not be found as they were demolished either during a member of the ruling Reform Party. the construction of the bastion in the 17th century, The State Nature Protection Center, 15 regional or, if the buildings were put up in the medieval environmental services, and the Radiation Centre period, they must have been dismantled during the will be merged into the Environment Board starting Livonian War in the 16th century. on 1 February. The new agency will have a staff of Kadakas added that some samples had been 416 people, 82 fewer than the merging entities. taken in order to establish the age of the building, Onemar is a forestry graduate from the then but they need not give an accurate dating. (BNS) Estonian Academy of Agriculture. His career includes the jobs of chief forester of Hiiumaa Island, chief co- The Celebration of the 91st Anniversary of ordinator of the national forestry development programme, and project manager and director the Republic of Estonia Will Take Place in general of RMK. He has been working as Tallinn, Narva, Jõhvi development director of RMK since 2006. 2 February - The celebration of the 91st anniversary of the Republic of Estonia will begin on Monday, 23 February, with wreaths DEFENCE NEWS being laid on the gravesites of Estonian state Permanent Undersecretary of Ministry of figures in Metsakalmistu in Tallinn. Also in Tallinn, the national prizes for science and culture Defence Visits Latvian Colleague will be handed out by the prime minister, and state 28 January - The Permanent Undersecretary of decorations will be handed out by the President of the Ministry of Defence Riho Terras met in Riga the Republic. On the morning of 24 February, a with his Latvian college Jānis Sārts to discuss formal flag-raising ceremony will also take place on the current status and future plans for tower in Tallinn, and a speech will be defence-related co-operation between the given by speaker of the Riigikogu Ene Ergma. Baltic states. On Tuesday, 24 February, a flag-raising The permanent undersecretaries both agreed ceremony will take place in the yard of Narva Castle that in the future, the Baltic Defence College should as well. Wreaths will be placed at the base of the become an international, modern staff college, not

3 just for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania but also for have to thoroughly reorganise their operations in other small countries. order to stay afloat. “We’re all willing to take joint steps to achieve The main owner of Estravel is Suomen this objective. It’s important that all the states that Matkatoimisto Oy, which in turn belongs 100% to contribute to the Baltic Defence College will have an Finnair. equal say concerning the future of the college,” Undersecretary Terras stated. Estonian Air to Open Pärnu-Stockholm Air Both Terras and Sārts also admitted that Route in Spring regardless of the current difficult economic situation, both countries still treat the ambitious project of 2 February (BNS) - In co-operation with the establishing a joint infantry battalion of the Baltic Sanatorium Tervis and the Spa and Conference states as a high-priority venture. Hotel Strand, Estonian Air will open a seasonal A joint infantry battalion, manned by Estonia, air route between Pärnu and Stockholm in the Latvia and Lithuania, forms a part of the 14th spring. rotation of the NATO Response Force, or NRF-14, The flights will take place twice weekly on during the first part of 2010. Estonia will contribute Thursdays and Sundays and will continue until 23 one infantry company, a reconnaissance platoon, a August, the company said. logistic support element and staff officers, "Opening opportunities for air travel from amounting to a contribution of 200 defence force different Estonian airfields is part of the Estonian Air members to the battalion. Interoperability exercises strategy. The opening of the Pärnu-Stockholm route of the units of the battalion will be taking place this will make travelling between Scandinavia and year in Latvia, in the Adaži training grounds. Estonia significantly more convenient," said Andrus The possible future co-operation of Estonia and Aljas, president and board chairman of Estonian Air. Latvia in international operations was also discussed The new route will be served by 33-seater Saab at the meeting; the participants also weighed 340 aircraft that have one service class. A light meal different opportunities for saving more resources by of a sandwich and a drink will be offered on board. introducing joint ventures during the difficult All Saab 340 flights are carried out by Estonian economic situation. Specific suggestions for possible Air Regional, a subsidiary of Estonian Air. joint procurements will be submitted by the defence ministries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by the Saku Was Beer Market Leader in 2008 next meeting of the defence ministers of the Baltic 3 February (BNS) - Saku Õlletehas retained its states, which is to take place in May in Estonia. lead on the Estonian beer market in 2008, a Permanent Undersecretary Terras also met with survey by AC Nielsen shows. the Commander of the Latvian Defence Forces Major Saku's share of the total turnover of the Estonian General Juris Maklakovs and the Chief of Staff of the beer market during the year was 45.7%, while A. Le General Staff of the Defence Forces of Latvia Colonel Coq had a market share of 38.1%, Saku Õlletehas Andis Dilāns. said on Tuesday. The CEO of Saku Õlletehas, Veli Pekka Tennila, said the Estonian beer market's leading brands are ECONOMIC NEWS Saku Originaal, Rock and A.Le Coq Premium. Estravel Posts Turnover of EUR 64 Million In the quality beers segment, Saku's market in 2008 share exceeded 50%, Tennila said. The manager of rival beverage house A. Le Coq 28 January (BNS) - The 2008 turnover of the recently claimed that in the final months of last year Estonian travel bureau Estravel was one billion A. Le Coq emerged as the market leader in beer kroons (EUR 64 mln) according to non-audited sales in Estonia by a narrow margin. figures, 0.5% higher than the year before. Saku Õlletehas also announced on Tuesday that Of the company's revenue, sale of air tickets according to the AC Nielsen survey, it has for the accounted for 582 million kroons, with the figures first time emerged as the market leader in the table increasing by 3.5% against the previous year. water segment with a market share of 20%. The sale of package tours increased by 8.6% on year, totaling 143 million kroons, and sale of rail ’s January Freight Handling tickets by 10.3% to nine million kroons. Sale of Climbs 2.5 Percent on Year hotel accommodations, however, fell by 11.1% to 154 million kroons. 3 February (BNS) - The volume of freight The company posted 20.7 million kroons profit handled at ports of the Estonian state-owned last year. company Port of Tallinn in January was 2.48 Estravel CEO Anne Samlik said tough competition million tons, marking a 2.5% improvement on between tour organisers made prices attractive last the same month a year ago. year, as a result of which the sale of holiday trips The handling of liquid cargoes, the biggest group showed strong growth despite the difficult economic of commodities passing through the ports, grew by situation. 16.6% on year to 2.02 million tons. Contraction in corporate clients' purchase volume The handling of ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) cargo was due to the economy of expenses in companies. dropped by 33.2% to 192 300 tons. "At the same time, there are companies that spent Bulk cargoes and mixed cargoes declined by more than before on travelling, in connection with 34.4% to 167 400 tons and by 52.4% to 17 000 entry into new markets and establishment of tons respectively. The shipment of coal doubled in business contacts there." comparison with January 2008. This year will be generally complicated on the Container shipments through the ports dropped tourism market both in Estonia and in the rest of the by 11.2% to 11 852 containers. world, and small tourism companies in particular will

4 The number of passengers served during the first month of the year was up by 23.2% at 442 900, the highest figure for January ever. Passengers travelling between Tallinn and Helsinki numbered 364 200.

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