Estonian Review E E S T I R I N G V a a D E VOLUME 17 NO 8 FEB 21- 27, 2007
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Estonian Review E E S T I R I N G V A A D E VOLUME 17 NO 8 FEB 21- 27, 2007 89th ANNVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA President Ilves: We Estonians Were Saved By Our State Feb 24 – “For a long time, Estonia was just an idea. An idea born in this city, among intellectuals, writers, and students,” President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said in his Independence Day speech in Tartu. Alexis de Tocqueville concluded that civic society formed the basis of a successful and functioning democracy, Ilves said. “The 19th century rulers of Estonia did not read de Tocqueville, but they, too, were worried about the abundance of peasant, student, and intellectual societies, their discussion nights and newspapers, carriers of the spirit of democracy” “What began as an idea, became reality, our state was born on a foundation laid by civic organisations – societies, congregations, choirs,” the President continued. “Looking back at Estonian history today, we see it was here, in Tartu, that the foundation of our statehood was laid. This is where the Tartu Peace Treaty – the birth certificate of our nation, making us an equal among other nations – was signed in 1920.” The birth of the Republic of Estonia 89 years ago rescued the Estonian nation from peril of death, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said “Considering the merciless annihilation of Estonians who lived in the Soviet Russia in the 1930s, we may but imagine what the fate of our nation would have been at the high tide of the Stalinist repressions,” he continued. “We know what happened to our Finnish-Ugric brethren at that time. We know, for example, what happened to nearly two hundred thousand Ingrians, of whom only a tenth survived to witness the collapse of the Soviet Union.” “The atrocities committed in Estonia after our annexation and occupation, have left a wound in the Estonian soul, a wound that has not healed even today,” Ilves said. “Almost 65 per cent of Estonians lost at least one near relative during the occupation period,” he explained. “Therefore, the moral void that allows a state to consider the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany its own, and yet to shrug off the responsibility for the execution of thousands of Estonians and the deportation of tens of thousands Estonians, is particularly abhorrent. And that state – to the contrary – justifies and defends the murderers and the deporters. And taunts Estonians, calling them fascists.” “Those accusations proceed from the fact that we have a democratic state,” Ilves said. The speech is available at the President’s web-page: http://www.president.ee/en/duties/speeches.php?gid=90077 FOREIGN NEWS of burial of Soviet soldiers in Estonia. We are taking care of them as provided by international law, Estonian Parliament Supports Mission in international moral principles and Estonian laws," Middle East Kaljurand underlined. Feb 21 - The Estonian parliament supported She added that Estonia would never take any dispatch of five staff officers of the defence steps that would go against international standards, forces for up to two years to UN missions in practise or ethics. Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Syria. Defence Minister Jürgen Ligi told the parliament President Says Relations with Russia Not that creation of stability in the conflict-ridden Middle Dependent Solely on Estonia East region is an immediate security interest for Estonia. Feb 23 - Progress in Estonian-Russian relations He said that being a member of the international does not depend solely on Estonia, President community and member of the United Nations, Toomas Hendrik Ilves said. Estonia had also the obligation to contribute to UN Relations with any country depend on both sides' efforts of maintaining peace in areas of crisis and wishes and positions, the president said. dispatch of Estonian officers would help increase the "Estonia wants to have businesslike and mutually Estonian contribution. respectful relations with Russia," the head of state Under the decision Estonia will send to the Middle stressed. East a naval officer who will be serving in the naval A major obstacle to this is Russia's continued contingent of the UN peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL. reluctance to speak about the past as it actually Ligi said UNIFIL was created for the confirmation happened -- the birth of the Estonian state in 1918, of the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, depriving the country of independence by the Soviet restoration of peace and security and support of Union in 1940 and 1944, and the great suffering the control by the Lebanese government. years of occupation caused Estonia and the Estonian It is the duty of UNIFIL to ensure security at the nation, the president said. 121-kilometer Israeli-Lebanese border in order to "We witnessed Russia's unwillingness to look avoid escalation of the situation and renewal of honestly at the history also in connection with the hostilities. border treaty when Russia would not accept the Estonia had earlier taken part in the UNIFIL mention of the Tartu Peace Treaty," Ilves added. mission in 1996-97 when a 135-strong It can be seen now as well, as recalling the year peacekeeping company was on a mission there. It 1944 Moscow only speaks about the liberation of was one of the biggest Estonian missions of all Estonia and will not admit that for Estonia this times; for example the present Estonian contingent meant replacement of one occupation regime with in NATO forces in Afghanistan is of 132 men. another, the president said. Although Estonian servicemen are taking part in the mission already since 1997, they have been ECONOMIC NEWS treated until the present as staff officers, for the dispatch of whom no parliament mandate was Currency rates in kroons required. But last year's Israeli-Hezbollah conflict (Bank of Estonia) showed that the UNTSO mission is also situated in a conflict-prone area and therefore staff officers Average Gross Monthly Wage in Estonia dispatched there must be treated as servicemen dispatched to a military mission. Rose above EEK 10,000 Ligi said that the duty of UNTSO military Feb 22 - The average monthly gross pay of full- observers was to watch observation of peace time and part-time employees of enterprises, agreements in the Middle East in order to prevent institutions and organizations in Estonia was escalation of conflicts. The UNTSO area of action 10,212 kroons (EUR 653) in the final quarter of comprises Israel, the Egyptian border zone, Lebanon 2006. and Syria. In monthly breakdown, the average sum was The parliament's resolution leaves the possibility 9,565 kroons in October, 9,911 kroons in November of sending up to two more staff officers to the and 11,160 kroons in December. mission. Average hourly gross wages and salaries in the fourth quarter totalled 60.28 kroons. Estonian Ambassador to Russia: Estonia Compared to the fourth quarter of 2005, the Honors Memory of Fallen in War average monthly gross wages and salaries were higher by 17.5 percent and the average hourly Feb 22 - Estonian Ambassador to Russia Marina gross wages and salaries by 19.2 percent. Kaljurand said that the memory of those who The annual increase in monthly pay was biggest fought against fascism was respected in in fishing (77.4 percent), and smallest in financial Estonia. intermediation (1.5 percent). "The memory of all those who died in the The average hourly gross wages and salaries struggle against fascism, either soldiers, officers of increased the most in fishing (69.3 percent), and the just victims, has always been respected in Estonia, least in financial intermediation (4.7 percent). is respected now and will be respected in the In absolute terms, the highest wages and salaries future," the diplomat told reporters after meeting were paid in financial intermediation, where the with head of the Russian Orthodox Church Alexy II. average stood at 15,822 kroons. In public Kaljurand said the whole history of Estonia was administration the average was 13,354 kroons and proof to this. "There are now several hundred places in fields related to real estate it was 11,856 kroons. Hotels and restaurants continue to post the to Warsaw by train. One of the main questions in lowest figures, with an average pay per employee of that study is whether Estonia should go on with the 6,521 kroons in the final quarter. Russian-standard gauge of switch to the European Employers' average monthly labour costs per rail gauge. employee stood at 13,746 kroons in the final It is also being weighed whether the new track quarter, and average hourly labour costs at 88.23 should pass through Tartu or a more direct route kroons. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2005, should be chosen going through Pärnu instead. average monthly labour costs per employee increased by 17.2 percent and hourly labour costs Estonia's Eesti Energia Keen to Start by 18.2 percent. Selling Energy in Lithuania Average gross wages and salaries in Estonia totalled 8,591 kroons a month in the first quarter of Feb 21 - Eesti Energia, the Estonian state- 2006, 9,531 kroons in the second quarter and 9,068 owned energy utility, wishes to start selling kroons in the third quarter. electricity on Lithuania's open energy market. "The Lithuanian energy market was opened in 2002, and it's open to different energy suppliers. Number of Jobless Drops by One-Third in That offers Eesti Energia the opportunity to fulfill Estonia in 2006 one of its strategic goals -- to develop new products, Feb 22 - The number of unemployed people markets and links," Eesti Energia CEO Sandor Liive registered with the Estonian Labor Market said.