Estonian Review E E S T I R I N G V A A D E VOLUME 17 NO 10 MAR 7- 13, 2007 FOREIGN NEWS Estonian Foreign Minister: EU Development Aid Should Be Better Coordinated Mar 13 - Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet found that the European Union's development aid was fragmented at present and should be better coordinated. An unofficial meeting of the European Union's development cooperation ministers in Bonn focused among other things on better division of labor in development cooperation -- on how to give more and more effective development aid. Taking the floor at the meeting, Paet said that the EU development aid was German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Estonian Prime fragmented at present and the activity of Minister Andrus Ansip at the European Council meeting in donors overlapped on the level of both Brussels, 8 March 2007 The Council of the European Union countries and spheres. "It is necessary to have a better division of labor in the choice of both target countries and FOREIGN NEWS spheres of activity," Paet said. Prime Minister Ansip: Binding Goals Will Be Clear The meeting addressed the signing of Benchmarks for Policy Makers and Entrepreneurs economic cooperation agreements with Mar 8 - The heads of state and government discussed African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. energy and climate goals at the European Council Links between development cooperation meeting. If the goals were achieved, it would help the and energy as well as effectiveness of the environment become cleaner, slow down climate change European Union's development aid were and increase the energy security of Europe. also discussed. The main topic concerned the increase of the share of Paet said Estonia supported the signing renewable energy to 20% of total energy consumption in the of economic cooperation agreements with Union by 2020. It would be a binding obligation for all the the liberalizing countries of Africa, the member states and part of the aim of establishing a more Caribbean and the Pacific area. uniform energy policy for the Union. He added that trade barriers between According to Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, 20% is an the countries themselves should disappear ambitious goal, but binding goals will be clear benchmarks for and the European Union should curb policy makers and entrepreneurs. “At the moment, the use of restrictions to the import of goods from renewable energy is rather high in Estonia and it will not be a those countries. Estonia has a positive problem to achieve a level of 20% in 13 years,” Ansip said. He experience with the trade liberalization added that the contribution of nuclear energy to reducing and this can be one of the best guarantees greenhouse gases must also be analysed. for the economic development of Important for Estonia is the decision that in order to develop developing countries. a common market, connections must be established with the However, for developing countries to regions that are isolated so far. A common market will ensure be able to benefit of global competition, a the energy security of its participants and promote competition gradual approach is necessary, allowing between energy producers and states. them to adjust to the world market. For Integration of the energy market has been a priority for this to succeed, liberalization has to be Estonia already for a long time. That attention is paid to the accompanied by serious reforms creation of new links is good for Estonia, Ansip said. supporting competitiveness. The leaders of the member states admitted that the goals To secure a sustainable development in set by the Union had to be feasible and reliable. There are Africa, securing energy supply and countries in the European Union who have already achieved the increasing access to electricity are 20% renewable energy goal, whereas for several small necessary preconditions, Paet explained. countries such as Malta it is impossible to do so. In the near Unfortunately, in some African countries future, it is planned to agree on specific goals for each member electricity is available to less than 10% of state depending on the current level of renewable energy use in the population. these states. FOREIGN NEWS commander of the Defense League. He has been adviser to the commander of the defence forces, a Issue of Iraqi Refugees Needs to Be senior officer at the defense forces General Staff, Solved Rapidly - Estonian Foreign Minister senior officer at the Allied headquarters in Northern Mar 9 - After meeting with fellow EU foreign Europe, chief of the defense forces planning and ministers, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas analysis department and deputy chief of the General Paet said that members of the EU regard it as Staff. important to solve the issue of Iraqi war Saar was born on June 28, 1955 in Valga. He is a refugees as quickly as possible. graduate from the Zhitomir higher radio electronic "At present there are an estimated four million military school of AA warfare, academic courses of Iraqi refugees, two million of whom are internal the Kharkiv anti aircraft academy, the refugees and the rest people who have gone to Führungsakademie of Bundeswehr in Germany and neighboring countries," he said. courses at the NATO defense college in Bonn. Saar Estonia backs Iraq's national unity, territorial has served in various anti-missile posts in the integrity and stable development, the minister said. former Soviet Army. After the restoration of "We hope that the Iraqi government will manage, Estonian independence he served as commander of with the support of the international community, to the independent radio engineering anti-aircraft create a stable state in the government of which all battalion, chief of the Air Force Staff, deputy the ethnic and religious groups will take part," he commander of the defense forces General Staff and was quoted as saying. deputy chief of staff at a NATO training mission in Paet added that the regional conference Iraq. organized by the Iraqi government was "in every The earlier chief of the general staff, Brig. Gen. way appropriate." Alar Laneman, has handed in his resignation, Likewise, the EU foreign policy chiefs have a justifying his wish by long-term studies at the Royal common understanding that at this point both College of Defense Studies in Great Britain. political as well as economic support for Iraq Laneman enrolled in the college in January, internationally should be stepped up. becoming the first Estonian officer to study there. "We must give humanitarian aid to ease the people's situation along with aid for reconstruction," Paet said, admitting however that giving aid was DOMESTIC NEWS complicated because of the complex security Reform Party Started Coalition Talks with situation and the country's low capability to absorb IRL, Social Democrats and Greens aid. Mar 10 - The governing board of the Estonian Estonian Member of Parliament Met with Reform Party decided to open formal coalition Pakistan's President as Part of NATO negotiations and started talks with Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL), the Social Parliamentary Assembly Tour Democratic Party and Greens of Estonia. Mar 9 - Social Democratic MP Sven Mikser met Before the decision about opening of coalition in Pakistan with President Pervez Musharraf as negotiations was made the negotiating delegation of part of a tour to that country by members of the Reform Party met on three occasions with the political committee of the NATO representatives from IRL, Social Democrats and Parliamentary Assembly (PA). Greens, and on one occasion with the Center Party. The visit took members of the NATO PA to After the outcome of the March 4 parliamentary Islamabad and Lahore. In addition to the Pakistani elections became clear, leader of the Reform Party, president, Mikser, the head of the Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip indicated that they were delegation to the NATO PA, met with Pakistan's in favour of a coalition with IRL, whose platform is Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. much closer to that of the Reform Party than the The meeting brought the NATO MPs together also platform of the Center Party. Ansip also said the new with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood coalition should include a left-wing force for greater Kasur, representatives from various organizations, balance. and journalists. Reform Party won 31 seats, Center 29 seats, the nationalist conservative IRL 19 seats, Social DEFENCE NEWS Democrats 10 seats, and Greens and People's Union President Appointed Chief of General six seats each in the 101-seat legislature. President Ilves has promised that he would make Staff and Commander of Air Force the proposal to become the candidate for prime Mar 13 - President Toomas Hendrik Ilves signed minister to the head of the party that received the a decision on appointing Col. Neeme Väli as most votes in parliamentary elections. chief of the General Staff and Col. Valeri Saar as commander of the Air Force. Four Estonian Parties Agreed on Tax Simultaneously the head of state relieved from Reform office chief of the General Staff Brig. Gen. Alar Laneman. Mar 13 - Representatives of the Estonian Väli was born on June 1, 1965 in Paide. He has parties holding coalition talks said that completed the course of the Führungsakademie of agreement had been reached on the tax reform Bundeswehr in Germany and the Tartu University package. Academy of Law. Väli has served as company Andrus Ansip from the Reform Party, Mart Laar commander, chief of the general staff and acting from the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union, Ivari Padar from the Social-Democratic Party and Agu research company Turu-Uuringute AS carried Kivimägi from the Greens of Estonia stated after out in February reveals. another round of talks that the income tax rate Last month police enjoyed the trust of 78 percent would be lowered to 18 percent while the tax-free of respondents which is 2 percent more than the minimum monthly income would rise to 3,000 previous high recorded in March 2005.