Estonian Review E E S T I R I N G V A A D E VOLUME 16 NO 45 NOV 15 - 22, 2006 FOREIGN NEWS DEFENCE NEWS Formin: EU's Enlargement Strategy Must Be British PM Meets with Estonian Troops in Integral Afghanistan Nov 15 - Meeting in the Netherlands Estonian Nov 20 - Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair who Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and his Dutch visited Afghanistan met with Estonian soldiers counterpart Bernard Bot stated that the European serving in that country. Union's enlargement strategy must be integral and Blair's intention was to meet with British consistent. troops stationed in Camp Bastion in the southern In accordance with the EU founding treaties, all province of Helmand. European countries have the possibility to apply for As an Estonian mine clearance team, the 15- membership; the membership criteria are known and are strong EODT-10 under the command of Capt. Üllar mandatory, Paet said. On the other hand, also the EU Lumiste, is based at the same camp they too attended must fulfil the promises made to the countries which the meeting. The commander of the motorized have made known their wish to accede to the EU, in line infantry company ESTCOY-3, Maj. with their progress in carrying out reforms, he said. Leo Käige, was also present. In the words of the Dutch minister a situation On Nov. 12 more than 100 Estonian where the talks come to a halt has to be avoided. Bot servicemen, including besides the 81-strong infantry said the differences that emerge during the talks must company and the explosive ordnance disposal team a be solved, while the countries wishing to accede to the 10-member logistics support unit and officers and EU must meet the membership criteria. non-coms serving in headquarters, flew to Speaking about the EU neighbourhood policy, Afghanistan. Paet said that the target countries of this policy need The Estonian units serve in a British PRT that first and foremost economic growth and modernization, is part of an international brigade under Dutch but certainly also encouragement and support from the command and operates in six southern provinces of union. Afghanistan. "Their relations with the EU must depend on the The servicemen are at present preparing for homework done by the country and its capabilities, not operations. so much on location or historic belonging," Paet said. Estonian military have been serving in the "Here our development cooperation has a big NATO-led peace enforcement operation in Afghanistan role to play, and Estonia has geared its projects in the since March 2003. target countries of the neighbourhood policy toward Last December the parliament extended ensuring democracy, observance of human rights and troops' participation in the overseas mission by two economic and social stability, as well as reducing years, with up to 150 soldiers to be stationed in poverty, first and foremost in Georgia, Moldova and Afghanistan at a time. Ukraine." Paet and Bot emphasized that the EU must talk with Russia in one voice. In the words of the ministers it is important to achieve unanimity on the mandate of the negotiations on the new partnership and cooperation agreement before the EU-Russia summit on Nov. 24. "That would be an important signal about the unity of the Russia-policy of the European Union," Paet said. The ministers also talked about EU-Russia cooperation in energy. Other topics dealt with were matters related to the forthcoming NATO summit in Riga, including the situation in Afghanistan and EU-NATO cooperation in that region. The EU must show that it is ready and capable to act rapidly and contribute to the development of Afghanistan, the ministers said. They also stressed the Estonian mine clearance team, the 15-strong importance of cooperation between the EU, NATO and EODT-10 under the command of Capt. Üllar the United Nations on that matter. Lumiste with the Prime Minister of Great Britain Tony Blair FOREIGN NEWS France, Callixte d'Offay, signed a joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic ties. Formin: Estonia Interested in Closer During a conversation that followed, economic Cooperation with Holland cooperation between the EU and Seychelles was talked Nov 16 - Estonia is interested in intensifying its about, with emphasis on fisheries. The institution of cooperation with the Netherlands, Foreign honorary consulate would offer several possibilities to Minister Urmas Paet said during the inauguration intensify contacts between the two countries, including in of the new building of the Estonian embassy in the fields of tourism, economy and culture, the parties The Hague. found. He said that embassy means not only political The Estonian envoy thanked the ambassador of and diplomatic relations but its task also is to connect the Republic of Seychelles for backing Estonia's bid to the people of the two countries. become a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental "I hope very much that both our economic and Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible cultural relations as well as relations between the Cultural Heritage when the vote was taken in Paris in people will become closer still and we'll be able to state July. already after a couple of years, for instance, that economic and trade relations as well as trips by tourists Education in Vernacular Biggest Concern of have increased significantly," Paet said. Finno-Ugric Peoples -- Estonian PACE Member The Estonian ambassador to Holland, Gita Kalmet, said interest toward Estonia on the part of Nov 17 - A permanent committee of the residents of the Netherlands has been constantly Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe growing. (PACE) unanimously endorsed a report by former Cooperation projects between Estonia and the member of the Estonian delegation Katrin Saks on Netherlands embrace cooperation in agriculture, the situation of Finno-Ugric peoples, underlining defence and justice, as well as environment. The problems of education in the vernacular. Netherlands has been one of the main countries "For Finno-Ugric peoples the biggest problem is financing bilateral projects and used to be one of the restrictions to or lack of education in the vernacular," largest providers of assistance before Estonia's said Saks, a Social-Democrat member of the European accession to the EU in 2004, having supported the Parliament. reconstruction of the Luhamaa border checkpoint on "Only a few of them have the opportunity of the Estonian-Russian border and the Baltic Defence studying in their native tongue until the fourth form. College, to name a few, also carrying out projects to Most don't even have that opportunity." counsel private farms. Saks said that the situation was particularly In terms of economic relations, the Netherlands difficult because Russian authorities did not admit ranked eighth among Estonia's trade partners last year problems, although PACE drew attention to them already and was fourth by investments. Trade between the two in its report completed in 1998. countries is constantly growing. The report, compiled in the framework of the Diplomatic relations between the two countries PACE cultural committee, was initiated by members of were re-established in September 1991. Estonia opened the Estonian delegation and the committee picked Saks its embassy in The Hague in 1997. for rapporteur. Together with the report PACE approved a number of recommendations to improve the situation of Finno-Ugric peoples, mainly pertaining to the activity of Russian federal and local authorities. One of the recommendations is that Hungary, Finland and Estonia should invest more in the name of their kindred peoples' future. Estonian Ambassador Presents Credentials in Georgia Nov 21 - Estonian Ambassador to Georgia Jaan Hein presented his credentials to President Mikhail Saakashvili. Hein, who represents Estonia also in Ukraine and Moldova, resides in Kiev. The conversation following the ceremony centred on bilateral relations and European Union-related subjects. Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and his According to Saakashvili, Georgia appreciates Dutch counterpart Bernard Bot in the Hague, and is grateful for being chosen a priority partner of November 15, 2006 development cooperation by Estonia. Estonia, Seychelles Establish Diplomatic Ties "It is important to Georgia to learn from the Nov 15 - Estonia established diplomatic ties with Estonian reform experience as witnessed by the years- the Republic of Seychelles. long work of Estonian experts in Georgia," the president Estonian Ambassador to France Margus Rava said. and the ambassador of the Republic of Seychelles to He voiced the hope projects of development cooperation will continue successfully and also said he Speaking about a possible meeting with Russian was glad that his country was being advised on building President Vladimir Putin, Ilves said that as a polite up the state and integrating into Europe by Estonia's person he will accept an invitation when one is made. former Prime Minister Mart Laar. He recalled that an invitation from the former The ambassador noted that the ties and Estonian president, Arnold Rüütel, for Putin to come to cooperation between the two countries have expanded Estonia remains in force. in recent years. The parties were satisfied with the "If our meeting takes place some time, as I think rapid and sustainable development of economic it will, Estonia and Russia always have a lot more than relations. weather to talk about," he said. Estonian investments are essential for the "Take the new neighbours of the EU and their development of the Georgian economy, Saakashvili problems, for instance, take the world in a broader said, noting with pleasure that Estonian entrepreneurs sense, take energy-related issues, take developments in are doing business across the whole country and not Russia or Estonian-Russian relations more narrowly -- restricting their investments to the capital city. In the starting from the border treaties to designing and president's words, Georgia has unquestionably set construction of the new Narva road bridge," said the course for integration into Europe and Euro-Atlantic Estonian president.