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Estonia's Prime Minister Andrus Ansip Addressing More Than 100 2/2007 Newsflashes Straightforward on p. 38-39 recruiting p. 28 Taxes p. 10-12 legalities p.5-7 p. 17-30 Estonia’s Prime Minister Andrus Ansip addressing more than 100 international businessmen in Tallinn, April 20th Photo: acce Thinking outside the box MAQS is an independent full service law firm. We have the competence you need – within all disciplines of law – with a total of 220 employees in Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and Poland. Our aim is clear and simple. To be the best at finding the solutions that help strengthen our client’s busi­ ness. Even if it means challenging the conventions of how a law firm should act. Interested? Just think outside the box and contact us! Challenging the laws of convention COPENHAGEN GOTHENBURG MALMOE STOCKHOLM TALLINN WARSAW www.maqs.com MAQS_Estl_210x287.indd 1 07-02-12 09.24.23 Photo: Kadi Asmer FOR OUR Anders Hedman FOREIGN READERS Chairman SCCE Andrus Ansip The current Prime Minister of Estonia and chairman of the Estonian Reform Party Dear Reader, (Est: Reformierakond). Mart Laar Since last a lot of things Without their activities and statements towards both Estonian politician Swedish and Estonian Ambassadors, the western and historian. He was have happened in Estonia. We leaders might have joined both the statements of the Prime Minister of have a new Government and the Norwegian Foreign Minister and as well the Estonia 1992 - 1994 former German Chancellor Schröder. Mr. Schröder’s and 1999 - 2002. Aljosha has changed address. credibility today is however so low, that I think Former chairman of his comments belongs on the comic pages in the conservative Pro These two facts have taken up most of the talking newspapers. Patria Union (Est: and gossiping during the last months. A lot of Isamaaliit), which in 2006 merged people I have spoken to are very happy with the Hopefully, these events made the Estonian politicians with the more technocratic Res fact that the new government has taken office. The realize that the Integration of the Russian population Publica Party. biggest surprise here was of course the fact that has still a long way to go. As long as the Russian Estonia’s most known and in the rest of the world minority is not too motivated to learn Estonian Aljosha most admired politician, Mart Laar was not chosen language they will continue to read Russian books Also known as The for the position of Foreign Minister. Prime Minister and newspapers and watch Russian TV channels Bronze Soldier (Est: Ansip has also repeatedly have had to explain why from Moscow. The youngsters will continue to Pronkssõdur) and he did not offer that position to Mr. Laar. Mr. Ansip’s shout Rossija and USSR as a sign of protest. The originally a Soviet answer is that he wishes that the Foreign Minister Government must start a dialog with the Russian World War II war and he share the same values. Honestly, I cannot community in Estonia on an equal basis. A good memorial located see where Mr. Laar and Mr. Ansip start could be to publish an Estonian at Tõnismäe in would have different views on History book in Russian language central Tallinn. The foreign policy. instead of trying to get them to read one monument was in Estonian language because many unveiled in 1947 Personally I believe that it’s more Russians still seems to have books and has significant about the personal chemistry from the Soviet era. symbolic value to between the two gentlemen and many people in Estonia’s minority the fact that both Mr. Ansip and Maybe a joint history commission community of ethnic Russians the Estonian EU commissioner should be created to agree upon what symbolising not only Soviet victory Mr. Kallas see Mr. Laar as a very happened in the past. If this is done over Nazi Germany in the Great serious competitor for the next with mutual respect, I think we can Patriotic War, but also their claim commissioner election in 2009. reach a national consensus about the to rights in Estonia. Many Estonians history. World War II and the following however considers the Bronze I would personally not be Soviet era was a tragedy for both Soldier as a symbol of Soviet surprised if we in the next EU Russians and Estonians, so I think occupation and repression. The commission would find the people here should stop calling each statue and the remainings of soldiers two old friends, Mr. Laar from Estonia and Mr. other occupants or fascists and instead maybe buried at the site was moved to the Bildt from Sweden - two politicians with a strong borrow some good things from Finland. In Finland Cemetery of the Estonian Defence international reputation. Not a bad ‘radarpar’ as we there are Finns and Finnish-Swedes so you can differ Forces in Tallinn April 27 - 30, 2007 say in Swedish. them by saying Finns and Swedes but together they following mass protests and two are called Finländare in Swedish and that would be nights of the worst rioting Tallinn and Mr. Ansip’s problem with the non-appointment of Finlander in English. Estonia have seen. Mr. Laar was however a light breeze from the west compared with the storm, or should we rather say In Estonia we could then speak about Estonians, Sundüürnikud hurricane, the relocation of Aljosha from Tõnismäe Russians, Swedes etc, but together we could say Refers to people living in flats and to a Tallinn Military Graveyard. Like many other that we are Estlanders, when we want to include all estates nationalized by the Soviet ‘sundüürnikud’, Aljosha, or shall we today better people living in the Republic of Estonia. regime and following Estonia’s call him Kristjan after Kristjan Palusalu who stood regained independence returned to model for the sculptor, has found himself a new When it comes to business and the economy, it’s like the rightful owners. place of living, just like very many others in the city always; business as usual which you also can see these days. from the very symbolic photo on this page Kristjan Palusalu – Oleme Avatud, we are open! I think that Kristjan Palusalu (until 1935 I however think that Kristjan should have been demonstrates the strengths of the Market Kristjan Trossmann, 1908 - 1987) moved long time ago, because the timing was not Economy or shall we say like Adam Smith was an Estonian heavyweight very good. I think that Mr. Ansip actually was saved put it once: The invisible hand! wrestler and Olympic medallist. by the extreme reaction the move created, not in Aljosha - the Bronze Soldier Tallinn, but in Moscow. Mr. Ansip should actually Enjoy reading nr 2! monument, is supposed to have send some flowers and a letter of thankfulness to been modelled on Palusalu. both Vladimir Vladimirovitch Putin and as well to Anders Hedman Possibly because Palusalu the Youth Movement Nazhi in Moscow. Chairman was in disgrace with the Soviet SCCE authorities, the sculptor denied this and said he used ‘a young worker who lived nearby’. The Swedish Chamber of Publisher is published by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Estonia - SCCE. Commerce in Estonia Address: The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Estonia The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Estonia – SCCE - is a non-profit association registered Rüütli 9 EE-10130 Tallinn Estonia in Estonia. Since its foundation 1991 the SCCE E-mail: has grown considerably and today the Chamber [email protected] Tel: (+372) 501 9813 unite close to 130 member companies headquartered in Estonia and Sweden. Editorial content and articles SCCE accepts SCCE is in many ways a mirror of the intensity in Swedish- editorial content and Estonian commerce and trade. Sweden is by far the articles for the magazine promoting biggest foreign direct investor in Estonia and in terms of the commerce and trade between export and import Swedish-Estonian business is among Estonia and Sweden the top three. primarily. The author of editorial texts and articles published A main task of SCCE is to create an environment for is responsible for the content. networking and exchange of information. The Chamber SCCE welcomes contributions to the act as a meeting place by arranging seminars, business magazine and lunches, company visits, hosting business delegations as reserves the right to refuse publishing of well as arranging social events for the members. content not being in line with the Statutes of SCCE. Special and unique SCCE member benefits also include listing in the Advertising SCCE Trade Directory, the opportunity The advertising pricelist is available to further market introduction in the at www.swedishchamber.ee Member in HighLight section of the Chambers website as well as taking advantage of a steady Subscriptions and additional copies The magazine is distributed free of flow of Special Offers. charge to the members of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Estonia. The fee for basic membership in the Swedish Companies not yet being members of Chamber of Commerce in Estonia is EEK the SCCE as well as private individuals can subscribe to . SCCE also 5.900:- per year and EEK 20.000:- per year provides additional copies of for SCCE member’s own distribution for Partner- and Sponsor-membership. of the magazine to customers and Membership is only granted to legal entities. business contacts to a net printrun cost. For more information about SCCE, please Please contact Kristiina Sikk: [email protected] for visit www.swedishchamber.ee. You are further information. also welcome to take a direct contact with SCCE’s Ombudsman Kristiina Sikk: kristiina@ Printed in the EU by KNT Meediad OÜ, Tallinn, Estonia. swedishchamber.ee or tel.
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