Estonian Review E E S T I R I N G V a a D E VOLUME 18 NO 22 MAY 21- MAY 27TH, 2008
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 18 NO 22 MAY 21- MAY 27TH, 2008 FOREIGN NEWS FOREIGN NEWS Estonian Soldier Dies of Injuries Sustained in Afghanistan May 24 - An Estonian non- commissioned officer who sustained heavy injuries in an accident in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province on the evening of May 23 rd died in hospital in the night. Sgt. Maj. Ivar Brok, 30, serving in the support unit NSE-5 of the Estonian contingent in Afghanistan, sustained life-threatening injuries in an accident that happened in the course of loading works at the Camp Bastion base, the General Staff here reports. Brok was loading equipment of the infantry platoon ESTCOY-6 onto trucks when a wheel of a Pasi armoured personnel carrier escaped and rolled on him. Such a wheel weighs several hundred kilograms. Foreign Ministers Urmas Paet and Carl Bildt emphasized positive Estonian medics gave first aid to Estonian-Swedish foreign relations at their meeting in Stockholm the sergeant who was badly injured Estonian, Swedish Foreign Ministers Underline and took him to the Camp Bastion field hospital. He was airlifted from Importance of EU's support to Georgia the field hospital to the higher-level May 21 - Foreign ministers of Estonia and Sweden confirmed after military hospital in Kandahar by a meeting in Stockholm that they consider the European Union's British medics later that evening. support to Georgia very important. Despite medics' efforts, Brok's life The ministers stressed the need to conclude EU-Georgia visa could not be saved. facilitation and free trade agreements. "Losing any comrade is tough "It would be to Georgia an additional clear sign of the European on the team, the thoughts of Union's support," Urmas Paet, the Estonian minister, said. Estonian soldiers serving in "The reports of exchanges of fire in Georgia are highly worrying," Afghanistan are with the next of kin Paet said. "The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia must be of Sgt. Maj. Brok," the chief of the respected and provocations are inadmissible." Estonian contingent in Afghanistan Paet and his Swedish colleague Carl Bildt also talked about the post- Lt. Col. Alo Valdna said. "Nobody is election situation in Serbia and Kosovo. In their words, closer ties safe from accidents. Ivar Brok was between the Balkans country and the EU could be built with the help of a an experienced soldier, he was pro-Europe coalition. participating in the Afghan mission "The West Balkan countries also should have the opportunity to move for a second time, but unfortunately fast towards visa freedom with the EU," Paet said. he died as the result of a tragic He added that Estonia has contributed to the development of the accident while doing his duty." West Balkans mainly by sharing its EU accession and reform experience Estonian troops remembered Brok which the Baltic state is prepared to continue. Estonia is also making a with a moment of silence Saturday contribution to the EU's soon-to-begin civilian mission in Kosovo. morning. Flags of the units stationed The ministers underscored that the Estonian-Swedish relations are in Helmand are flying at half-staff. very good and busy. The commander of the defence At a reception held at the embassy in Stockholm Paet handed over forces, Lt. Gen. Ants Laaneots, Estonian state decorations to Stefan Stromberg for promoting the ordered the military police division of cooperation of the two countries' police forces, Henno Kirikmae and the General Staff to open an Christofer Gyllenstierna for supporting Estonia's Euro-Atlantic investigation to establish the integration. circumstances of the accident. FOREIGN NEWS The main alternative to Russia in guaranteeing the stability of the energy supply for Europe is Ansip Sees Nuclear Energy as Alternative supplies from the Caspian Region, said Ilves. to Fossil Fuel The presidents of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, May 23 - Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan approved a said that Estonia views nuclear power as a declaration as regards the creation of an energy considerable alternative to fossil fuels. transit corridor between the Caspian Sea, Black Sea "Nuclear energy definitely is a considerable and Baltic Sea regions. carbon dioxide emissions free alternative to fossil "With the discussions in Kiev, we are taking a big fuels," Ansip said at the meeting that brought step in the direction of guaranteeing energy security together eight heads of government from central for Europe," the Estonian head of state said. Europe and the prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia Ilves said that energy-related cooperation must and Lithuania. be based on the principles of the Energy Charter Nuclear energy is one of the possibilities allowing Treaty. In energy trade, both supply and transit the diversification of sources of energy in order to countries must act in conformity with good foreign ensure energy security. It also gives Estonia a trade practices and refrain from using it as a means greater opportunity to reach the goals set out in the of applying political pressure, he added. EU climate package, Ansip said. In addition to the presidents of the Baltic While Estonia backs the EU goals related to countries, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, climate change, to ensure energy security one has the Kiev summit meeting was attended by Andris to preserve domestic generating capacities covering Piebalgs, the European commissioner for Energy, the country's own demand, he said. and representatives of the United States, Bulgaria, In this connection Estonia wishes to preserve oil Kazakhstan, Romania and Slovakia. shale fuelled energy generation in the longer term, even though its share will definitely be reduced Members of Russian Federation Council because of the wish to cut down emissions, the Visit Estonia prime minister said. The heads of government found that while May 26 - Members of the foreign affairs and nuclear energy is a global phenomenon, every EU economic committees and the Estonian- member state has the right to choose its sources of Russian group in the Estonian parliament in energy on its own. Tallinn met with two members of the Russian It is important, however, to increase energy Federation Council. security by having a well functioning domestic Boris Listov, Deputy Chairman of the foreign energy market, which can be created after sufficient affairs committee in the Russian Parliament's upper links have been established between member states, house, the Federation Council, and member of the they said. finance committee Boris Listov are on a non-official The meeting that took place during the run-up to visit to Estonia at the invitation of the Reformist MP the session of the EU Council in June also dealt with Urmas Klaas, chairman of the economic affairs the enactment of the Lisbon Treaty next year. committee. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso The meeting focused on Estonian-Russian expressed the hope that the Lisbon treaty will be relations in the political, economic and cultural ratified in all the member states and the EU will be spheres. able to move ahead with necessary reforms. Both Estonian and Russian MPs expressed the Among other things, the priorities of the Czech wish to overcome bottlenecks in relations between presidency were laid out at the meeting, along with the two countries and to work for closer direct the topics to be discussed at the upcoming EU contacts between the parliaments as well as the summit. governments. The prime ministers considered it important to The deputy chairman of the foreign affairs deal in more depth in the future with the impact committee recalled that delegations of the two from the rise in food prices. countries' parliaments met at the invitation of the foreign affairs committee of the Federation Council in 2006 in Pskov. Caspian Region Provides an Alternative to Eesmaa proposed continuation of contacts Russia for Europe's Energy Supply - Ilves between the foreign affairs committees already in May 23 - The Caspian region serves as an the coming fall by a visit of a delegation of the alternative to Russia in terms of energy supply foreign affairs committee of the Federation Council for Europe, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik to Estonia. Ilves said at an energy summit in Kiev. In the economic affairs committee the talk "The European Union must speak about energy focused on long queues at the Estonian-Russian issues with one voice and act as a common target border, construction of a new bridge across the market -- only then is it possible to resist the border river of Narva, opening of a logistics centre attempts of any country to use energy supplies to and of launching air traffic between Tallinn and St increase their political profile," Ilves was quoted by Petersburg. spokespeople as saying at the meeting of seven Klaas proposed the organization of an Estonian- presidents in the Ukrainian capital. Russian economic forum under the direction of both Nord Stream and South Stream, the new gas the countries' economic affairs committees. lines offered by Russia, are new supply channels, Meeting with the Estonian-Russian parliamentary but do not help Europe to diversify its suppliers and group issues pertaining to cultural exchange were thereby increase energy security, he said. touched upon. Peeter Tulviste, chairman of the group from the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union for cyber defence in Estonia. The founders are underlined the need to open both the countries Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia archives for historians. and Spain. Gisladottir and her Estonian counterpart, Urmas Estonia Joins Kosovo International Paet, also spoke about airspace patrolling. Steering Group Paet said at the joint news conference that Estonia and Iceland are in a similar position rd May 23 – Estonia, on May 23 became a regarding airspace policing: neither of the small member of the International Steering Group countries have an air force of its own, so both rely (ISG) on Kosovo, a body aimed at promoting on NATO assistance to protect their skies.