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Estonia votes to join EU
Sep 14 - Slightly more than two-thirds of Estonians voted in favor of joining the European Union in a referendum on Sunday.
Support stood at 66.83 percent, with the No camp trailing at 33.17 percent, data by the central electoral commission show. Voter turnout was 64 percent.
After Decades Of Occupation, Estonia Looks To The West
Sep 14 - Estonia today is more firmly rooted in the West than ever after decisively approving a referendum on European Union membership -fulfilling what, barely a decade ago, seemed like an impossible dream for the small former Soviet Baltic republic.
"Estonia has returned, for good, to Europe," Estonian Prime Minister Juhan Parts said after cheering in the results at a party at the Scotland Yard pub in the capital, Tallinn. "Spring has arrived in Estonia."
Delighted Estonian leaders said the 67% vote in favour of membership marked the dawn of a new age for the Baltic Sea country of just 1.4 million people, which, for most of the past 800 years, has been sucked by force into one power bloc after another.
"This decision will guarantee the future of Estonia," a smiling Kristiina Ojuland, the country's Foreign Minister, said as the victory for EU proponents became apparent.
"The decision clearly marks Estonia's return to its rightful place in Europe," the European Union executive said in a statement. The body said the decision to join the EU "sets the seal on a process of change that has been both difficult and hard won." Commission head Romano Prodi added: "In the dark days of its history, Estonia experienced first-hand what the Iron Curtain did to Europe. Now it can harvest the fruits of a united Europe.
Finnish President Tarja Halonen, whose country is a close ally and sponsor of Estonia and the Baltic states, also welcomed the referendum result. "I am very happy, that Estonia has made a clear choice. They are our closest neighbours and thus it will be easier for us to trade," she said. "We to a large extent have built our relationship by taking into account the fact that Estonia will join the EU."
Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga became the first foreign head of state to call President Arnold Rüütel and offer her congratulations, saying she hoped to receive similar congratulations after Latvia votes. The Estonian Foreign Minister received similar offers of congraulations from her Latvian counterpart Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete, who said that “This referendum was another important milestone and the final stage of Estonia to assume is rightful place in Europe. Estonia made the most of this historical opportunity!”
"It is a great day for Estonia and for Europe," added Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller as news broke about the referendum's success. Denmark is an EU member.
There was a more than two-to-one margin in favour of joining the EU, with 33% voting no, the Central Election Commission reported with 100% of the vote counted.
Some 63% of 865,000 eligible voters cast ballots, though there was no minimum turnout requirement.
Estonian leaders see referendum outcome as national accord
Sep 14 - The president, the prime minister and the speaker of the parliament issued a joint statement, saying that the result of the referendum on EU membership is a kind of national agreement which should set a basis for broader confidence and cooperation between the state, local authorities and civil society in taking the decisions that determine the development of Estonia.
"Active participation in the referendum showed that the people as the carrier of the supreme power of the state were aware of their responsibility for the fate of the people in future," the statement by President Arnold Rüütel, parliamentary Speaker Ene Ergma and Prime Minister Juhan Parts said.
"The people of Estonia have had little chance in the history to decide and shape its destiny. We have acted in unison restoring and securing our independence. The referendum has been one of the most significant choices in the history of the people of Estonia and a setting-up of a guarantee for independence and national security," said the statement, read by President Arnold Rüütel.
At the referendum, the people of Estonia displayed their firm commitment to the common values of Europe, the statement said. Acceding to the European Union and joining NATO next year, the people of Estonia will be ready to bear the responsibility for the future of Europe together with other European states, it said.
"We realize that the outcome of the referendum is binding and a mandate for the Riigikogu, the President of the Republic and the government to implement consistently a policy developed after the restoration of independence and which complies with the public expectation, as well as to bear joint responsibility for the people," the statement said.
FOREIGN NEWS
Protection of Baltic Sea is Estonia's priority in CBSS presidency – Foreign Minister
Sep 08 - Speaking at a parliamentary conference of the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in Oulu, Finland, Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland outlined the priorities and activity areas of the Estonian presidency of CBSS.
We share a concern for the environment of the Baltic Sea and "we cannot and should not expect others from outside the region to take the lead in cleaning up the Baltic Sea," Ojuland said.
The environment is one of the most important spheres during Estonia's presidency of the Council of Baltic Sea States and also the foreign minister dwelt at length on the issue in her speech. "Estonia is committed to having the Baltic Sea classified as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area" and therefore has assumed the aim of the creation of conditions to achieve the respective regional agreements, she said.
The Foreign Minister said that the CBSS Task Force on Organized Crime works intensively in areas that are of top priority in the region. "Its nine expert groups address issues including money laundering, corruption, illegal migration, environmental crime, narcotics and trafficking in women," she said.
The conference also addressed the issue of cooperation between non-governmental organizations in the Baltic Sea area. "We should all promote a more constructive and harmonized participation of citizens and non-governmental organizations in further developing our region," Ojuland said.
Estonian Foreign minister: no need to change fundamentals of EU defence policy
Sep 10 - Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland reiterated the country's view that principles of the EU defence policy should not be revised while discussing the Constitutional Treaty at the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).
"Estonia has very clearly taken the position that the only defence structure, and an actually functioning defence structure, can be NATO, which could serve as Europe's security guarantee," Ojuland said.
The minister added that the European Union's own defence cooperation is quite well defined by means of earlier agreements. "These spheres have been defined and we wouldn't like to see anything superfluous added to them, she said.
The issue of defence policy is one Estonian motion for amendment to the Constitutional Treaty drawn up in the Convention; the government sent them to the parliament's European affairs committee.
Ojuland added that although the government wanted to make amendments to the Constitutional Treaty, it was satisfied with the work of the Convention. She stated that during a foreign ministers' unofficial meeting in Italy last weekend the governments of all member and accession countries found the work of the convention to be very good and that the draft Constitutional Treaty served as a good basis on which the Intergovernmental Conference could continue its work.
Ojuland added that she had discussed everything with her Finnish colleague Erkki Tuomioja on his visit to Tallinn. “I am sure that we can achieve good results if Estonia, Finland and like minded countries work together in offering concrete solutions to EU problems,” said Ojuland. The ministers agreed to have one more unofficial meeting before the Intergovernmental Conference.
Estonia wants a couple of points revised in EU Constitutional Treaty
Sep 09 - The Estonian government has worked out its views concerning the EU Constitutional Treaty it is going to present at the intergovernmental conference.
Henrik Hololei, representative of the Estonian government in the Convention for the Future of Europe, said that Estonia aims to raise only a couple of important points at the intergovernmental conference.
He said Estonia wants a voting commissioner's seat reserved for all countries. Besides, Estonia wants the minimum number of European Parliament members from one country to be at least five, not four as suggested in the present draft.
"Voting by consensus in sensitive issues such as taxation, including tax fraud and tax evasion, must certainly be kept," Hololei added. He said it was also important to rule out such military cooperation in the European Union where a small number of countries would be going ahead in a sphere where progress could be achieved in cooperation between all EU countries.
Hololei said adoption of the Constitutional Treaty would not be followed by distribution of seats in the EU, but Estonia would be happy to see the former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponenn elected to a leading EU post.
"Finland has always been a very important and close partner for us and Finland's EU policy certainly serves as an example not just to Estonia but also to other future member countries," he said. "We would be very glad if a country so close to us such as Finland would be represented high in the EU hierarchy.
Halonen: EU helps manage in globalising world
Sep 09 - Finnish president Tarja Halonen said accession to the European Union (EU) would help better manage in the globalising world.
Halonen said after her meeting with Estonian President Arnold Rüütel that according to the Finnish experience it is easier to cope with globalisation in rather than outside the EU.
"I have said before that the EU is not a rose garden but there isn't any rose garden outside the EU either," the Finnish president added.
Also later in her speech in the National Library Halonen referred to globalisation as one of the main factors in the modern world. "The world economy has acquired some totally near features in connection with globalisation," she said. "By means of modern technology, products and capital move at lightning speed from country to country. The borders of nation-states are no longer as impassable as before." Halonen expressed the view that enlargement of the European Union would strengthen the positions and capacity to succeed also on the global level.
Halonen added that as Estonia and Finland have a rather similar understanding of world affairs, Estonia's accession could help influence not just the European Union but also the whole world.
In EU Estonians can complain to European ombudsman
Sep 11 - On accession to the European Union Estonians will gain the right to complain to the European ombudsman in case of dissatisfaction with EU institutions.
European ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros visiting Estonia said that he receives about 2,500 complaints a year and about 75 of them are against the Council of Europe.
Estonian Legal Chancellor Allar Joks said that acceding to the European Union, protection of the Estonians' human rights would not diminish, but a double mechanism would come into effect, so it will be possible to turn with complaints both to the European ombudsman and the Estonian legal chancellor.
Diamandouros is planning to visit all the European Union candidate countries and picked Estonia as his first destination. It is the first visit of the European ombudsman, the aim of the visit being to inform citizens of the European ombudsman's institution and its activity.
Estonian ambassador hands over credentials to George W. Bush
Sep 09 - Estonian Ambassador to the United Nations Juri Luik handed over his credentials to US President George W. Bush.
After the presentation of his credentials, the Estonian ambassador in Washington D.C. is invested with full powers and can start performing his official duties, informed a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry.
In his official response to Ambassador Luik's greeting during their brief meeting in the Oval Hall of the White House the United States president said that Estonia is welcome into the most successful alliance in history, the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The U.S. president praised the development of the Estonian economy and stated that “You have experienced economic growth since 1991 and many countries are envious.” Bush also found that Estonia has implemented high standards in terms of openness, transparency and the respect of law.
The U.S president pointed out that Estonian and American troops were standing against tyrants in Afghanistan and Iraq. If democratic countries hold together they will win, the president said.
Fifteen years ago the Estonian Singing Revolution was a model of the will of freedom and humanism to the world. Estonia's determination may help support similar peaceful revolutions throughout the world, Bush said.
DEFENCE NEWS
Estonia, Ukraine sign defence cooperation agreement
Sep 08 - Estonian Defence Minister and his Ukrainian counterpart Yevhen Marchuk signed an eight-article agreement on defence cooperation between the two defence ministries.
The cooperation will focus above all on legal consultancy and exchange of experience on NATO and defence forces reform, said a spokesman for the Defence Ministry.
The Estonian minister added that exchange of experience on international missions was added to the above as a new interesting topic. "At present Ukraine has peacekeeping missions in ten countries and the experience could be very useful for Estonia," Hanson said.
"Estonia is a good example of how fast it is possible to move on the NATO course in case of effective preparations. Ukraine, now launching on the road of accession to the alliance, regards the Estonian experience as very important for it. Our aim is clear -- Ukraine must become a full member in NATO," Marchuk said.
Open Spirit 2003 naval exercise finds 26 explosive devices in Gulf of Finland
Sep 14 - Ships taking part in the Open Spirit 2003 international naval exercise found 26 explosive devices, most of them near Estonia's Juminda Peninsula in the Gulf of Finland.
Apart from the explosive devices, 18 mine anchors were discovered. In all, the naval exercise cleared WW I and WW II explosive devices from 58 square kilometres of sea, informed spokespeople for the exercise.
The German co-chief of the exercise, Cmdr. Ulrich Linke, said that the goal to exercise cooperation between vessels from various countries and exchange know-how had been fulfilled.
"Cooperation has been getting better day by day," Linke said. He was also content with the participation of Russian mine trawlers in a similar exercise for the first time.
Together with the explosives cleared in the course of Open Spirit 2003, 247 mines and 59 other explosives, as well as 27 wrecks have been found in Estonian waters during mine clearance operations since 1995.
Estonia planning to double number of professionals in defence forces
Sep 08 - In two years there will be twice as many officers, non-coms and rank-and-file soldiers paid by defence forces then there are now, if the Defence Ministry sticks to its NATO-supported reform plan of putting 2,500 more men on the defence forces payroll.
"The number of enlisted men will apparently decline and that of professional soldiers increase. We are not speaking about figures, but one thing is certain -- this will not mean disappearance of the military service," said Defence Ministry public relations officer Madis Mikko.
"The trend is towards an emphasis on mobile combat-ready units both for Estonia's defence as well as international missions," he said.
ECONOMIC NEWS
Netherlands to support Estonian energy project in return for greenhouse gas allowance
Sep 08 - The Estonian and Dutch governments signed a memorandum of mutual understanding according to which the Netherlands will finance energy projects in Estonia in return for carbon dioxide emission allowances.
"The Ministry of Economy of the Netherlands made in 2000 a public offer directed primarily at countries in transition to purchase greenhouse gas emissions allowances. In return, the Netherlands is prepared to finance energy projects aimed at softening climate changes," the Environment Ministry here reported.
The ministry said Estonia has proposed to the Netherlands to finance the construction of a 50.6-megawatt wind generator park at Paldiski on the northwestern coast. In return, Estonia is prepared to trade a part of its carbon dioxide emission allowance.
Estonia has to date met its commitment under the Kyoto Protocol. In 2000 the country's emission of greenhouse gases made up 44 percent of the amount emitted in 1990, the base year of the protocol.
Estonia's Rakvere meat co gets permission to sell fresh meat to Europe
Sep 09 - The European Union handed Estonia's Rakvere Lihakombinaat (Rakvere Meat Processing Co) a certificate allowing the company to sell fresh pork on the European market.
Rakvere Lihakombinaat is the only industrial company in Estonia at the moment that has obtained the corresponding EU hygiene and structural conformity certificate, said spokespeople for the Ministry of Agriculture.
Rakvere Lihakombinaat has been included in the list of third-country companies, which are authorized to sell their output on the EU market.
The EU's Standing Committee on Food Chain gives the authorization to companies, which correspond to the EU common market's hygiene and structural requirements. Also the Estonian poultry producer AS Tallegg is expected to obtain the authorization soon in order to be able to export poultry to the EU market.
Finnish tax chief says no tax problem with Estonia
Sep 10 - Finnish Tax Administration Director General Jukka Tammi says that there are no problems between Estonia and Finland regarding the taxation of income of companies, as the relevant agreements have been signed.
Tammi, who was in Tallinn to attend an annual conference of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrators (IOTA), said that matters of taxation were regulated by the Estonian-Finnish agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and that the Finnish national tax administration was behaving in accordance with that accord.
The case cited by the media where a Helsinki tax official wrote a tax claim to the Helsinki Consulting Group (HCG) over the profit of HCG's Estonian subsidiary was a separate event based on which no far-reaching conclusions should be made, said Tammi.
"In our opinion a thing like this shouldn't have happened, this is a matter of different interpretation of tax laws," Tammi said. "Now a court has to find a solution to the issue," he said.
A tax auditor of the Helsinki and Uusimaa tax department of Finland presented a tax claim to HCG in August this year concerning profit earned by the group's Estonian subsidiary in 2001, citing Estonia's low tax rates as the reason.
Number of registered jobless falls 2.4 pct in Estonia in August
Sep 10 - The number of registered unemployed in Estonia declined by 2.4 percent in August in comparison to July and totalled 40,277, which makes up 4.9 percent of the working-age population.
The number of people who turned to labour offices for the first time in August was 4,011. The number of people receiving jobless benefits was 17,569 in August, a decline of 3.6 percent from the monthbefore and 13.5 percent less than in August 2002.
SAS acquires 49 percent of Estonian Air
Sep 12 - The Scandinavian airline group SAS has signed an agreement with Maersk Air of Denmark to acquire 49 percent of the shares in the Estonian airline Estonian Air. The total purchase price is 180 million Swedish kronor, spokespeople for SAS Group said. Estonian Air will continue to operate as an independent airline under its own brand.
SAS also signed an agreement with the Estonian investment banking firm AS Cresco, the owner of 17 percent of shares in Estonian Air, covering a possible increase of SAS shareholding in the Estonian airline. The remaining 34 percent of the shares in Estonian Air are held by the Estonian state.
The acquisition is part of the SAS strategy to strengthen its position in the Baltic region, the news release by SAS Group said.
"Estonian Air is a profitable, strong and growing company in a strategically highly attractive region. Traffic to and from Estonia is expected to increase by at least 8-10 percent annually," said Gunnar Reitan, executive vice president of the SAS Group responsible for subsidiary and affiliated airlines.
Currency Rates in Kroons
September 14, 2003
British pound - GBP - 22.287
Canadian dollar - CAD - 10.208
Swiss franc - CHF - 10.073
Danish krone - DKK - 2.106
Japanese yen - JPY - 0.120
Latvian lat - LVL - 24.485
Lithuanian lit - LTL - 4.532
Norwegian krone - NOK - 1.887
Russian rouble - RUB - 0.456
Swedish krona - SEK - 1.714
US dollar - USD - 14.005
Euro - EUR - 15.646
SPORTS NEWS
Estonia's Pertelson takes silver in judo world championships
Sep 14 - Estonian athlete Indrek Pertelson took silver in the men's open class in the final event of the world judo championships in Osaka, losing to Japan's Keiji Suzuki in the finals.
Suzuki, the Asian Games gold medallist, received a caution, which placed him a koka point down of the Estonian, but suddenly used a leg technique to floor Pertelson and score an ippon victory.
Pertelson had secured a place in the semi finals with victories over China's Pan Song, Austria's Franz Birkfellner and Bosnia's Amel Mekici.
In the semifinals the Estonian overpowered Movlud Mirsaliyev of Azerbaijan, who in the end got a bronze together with Uzbekistan's Abdullo Tangriev.
Estonia won two medals at the judo world championships, with the 81 kg bronze going to Alexei Budolin.
CULTURAL NEWS
Drama festival 2003
In the second largest Estonian city, Tartu, a big theatre festival, “Drama 2003” took place. At the festival, all Estonian spoken word theatres performed their best pieces. Tartu, the centre of Southern Estonia, was the theatre capital. It was possible to attend 50 different performances in 16 various places.
The most important part of the festival was the official programme, where all Estonian theatres presented a performance of their choice, but with the stipulation that the piece has to have premiered at their theatre within the last two years. These 12 performances were also judged by an international jury.
Besides the official programme there was also a selection of plays by Estonian playwrights and a programme for children and youth.
It was also possible to participate in workshops, discussions, concerts, exhibitions and book presentations.
An exhibition of Estonian theatre posters was opened in the Estonian Folk Museum in Tartu.
The annual festival took place for the fifth time and there were more than 10 000 visitors.
Adolf Shapiro’s staging of "Fathers and sons" at the "Linnateater" won half of the awards, which were glass dices. Other glass dices were divided between the Estonian theatres "Vanemuine", "Vanalinnastuudio", "Draamateater" and "Von Krahl".
EESTI RINGVAADE is compiled from local news services, including BNS and ETA, and is issued by the Press and Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Estonia votes to join EU
Sep 14 - Slightly more than two-thirds of Estonians voted in favor of joining the European Union in a referendum on Sunday.
Support stood at 66.83 percent, with the No camp trailing at 33.17 percent, data by the central electoral commission show. Voter turnout was 64 percent.
After Decades Of Occupation, Estonia Looks To The West
Sep 14 - Estonia today is more firmly rooted in the West than ever after decisively approving a referendum on European Union membership -fulfilling what, barely a decade ago, seemed like an impossible dream for the small former Soviet Baltic republic.
"Estonia has returned, for good, to Europe," Estonian Prime Minister Juhan Parts said after cheering in the results at a party at the Scotland Yard pub in the capital, Tallinn. "Spring has arrived in Estonia."
Delighted Estonian leaders said the 67% vote in favour of membership marked the dawn of a new age for the Baltic Sea country of just 1.4 million people, which, for most of the past 800 years, has been sucked by force into one power bloc after another.
"This decision will guarantee the future of Estonia," a smiling Kristiina Ojuland, the country's Foreign Minister, said as the victory for EU proponents became apparent.
"The decision clearly marks Estonia's return to its rightful place in Europe," the European Union executive said in a statement. The body said the decision to join the EU "sets the seal on a process of change that has been both difficult and hard won." Commission head Romano Prodi added: "In the dark days of its history, Estonia experienced first-hand what the Iron Curtain did to Europe. Now it can harvest the fruits of a united Europe.
Finnish President Tarja Halonen, whose country is a close ally and sponsor of Estonia and the Baltic states, also welcomed the referendum result. "I am very happy, that Estonia has made a clear choice. They are our closest neighbours and thus it will be easier for us to trade," she said. "We to a large extent have built our relationship by taking into account the fact that Estonia will join the EU."
Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga became the first foreign head of state to call President Arnold Rüütel and offer her congratulations, saying she hoped to receive similar congratulations after Latvia votes. The Estonian Foreign Minister received similar offers of congraulations from her Latvian counterpart Foreign Minister Sandra Kalniete, who said that “This referendum was another important milestone and the final stage of Estonia to assume is rightful place in Europe. Estonia made the most of this historical opportunity!”
"It is a great day for Estonia and for Europe," added Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller as news broke about the referendum's success. Denmark is an EU member.
There was a more than two-to-one margin in favour of joining the EU, with 33% voting no, the Central Election Commission reported with 100% of the vote counted.
Some 63% of 865,000 eligible voters cast ballots, though there was no minimum turnout requirement.
Estonian leaders see referendum outcome as national accord
Sep 14 - The president, the prime minister and the speaker of the parliament issued a joint statement, saying that the result of the referendum on EU membership is a kind of national agreement which should set a basis for broader confidence and cooperation between the state, local authorities and civil society in taking the decisions that determine the development of Estonia.
"Active participation in the referendum showed that the people as the carrier of the supreme power of the state were aware of their responsibility for the fate of the people in future," the statement by President Arnold Rüütel, parliamentary Speaker Ene Ergma and Prime Minister Juhan Parts said.
"The people of Estonia have had little chance in the history to decide and shape its destiny. We have acted in unison restoring and securing our independence. The referendum has been one of the most significant choices in the history of the people of Estonia and a setting-up of a guarantee for independence and national security," said the statement, read by President Arnold Rüütel.
At the referendum, the people of Estonia displayed their firm commitment to the common values of Europe, the statement said. Acceding to the European Union and joining NATO next year, the people of Estonia will be ready to bear the responsibility for the future of Europe together with other European states, it said.
"We realize that the outcome of the referendum is binding and a mandate for the Riigikogu, the President of the Republic and the government to implement consistently a policy developed after the restoration of independence and which complies with the public expectation, as well as to bear joint responsibility for the people," the statement said.
FOREIGN NEWS
Protection of Baltic Sea is Estonia's priority in CBSS presidency – Foreign Minister
Sep 08 - Speaking at a parliamentary conference of the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in Oulu, Finland, Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland outlined the priorities and activity areas of the Estonian presidency of CBSS.
We share a concern for the environment of the Baltic Sea and "we cannot and should not expect others from outside the region to take the lead in cleaning up the Baltic Sea," Ojuland said.
The environment is one of the most important spheres during Estonia's presidency of the Council of Baltic Sea States and also the foreign minister dwelt at length on the issue in her speech. "Estonia is committed to having the Baltic Sea classified as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area" and therefore has assumed the aim of the creation of conditions to achieve the respective regional agreements, she said.
The Foreign Minister said that the CBSS Task Force on Organized Crime works intensively in areas that are of top priority in the region. "Its nine expert groups address issues including money laundering, corruption, illegal migration, environmental crime, narcotics and trafficking in women," she said.
The conference also addressed the issue of cooperation between non-governmental organizations in the Baltic Sea area. "We should all promote a more constructive and harmonized participation of citizens and non-governmental organizations in further developing our region," Ojuland said.
Estonian Foreign minister: no need to change fundamentals of EU defence policy
Sep 10 - Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland reiterated the country's view that principles of the EU defence policy should not be revised while discussing the Constitutional Treaty at the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).
"Estonia has very clearly taken the position that the only defence structure, and an actually functioning defence structure, can be NATO, which could serve as Europe's security guarantee," Ojuland said.
The minister added that the European Union's own defence cooperation is quite well defined by means of earlier agreements. "These spheres have been defined and we wouldn't like to see anything superfluous added to them, she said.
The issue of defence policy is one Estonian motion for amendment to the Constitutional Treaty drawn up in the Convention; the government sent them to the parliament's European affairs committee.
Ojuland added that although the government wanted to make amendments to the Constitutional Treaty, it was satisfied with the work of the Convention. She stated that during a foreign ministers' unofficial meeting in Italy last weekend the governments of all member and accession countries found the work of the convention to be very good and that the draft Constitutional Treaty served as a good basis on which the Intergovernmental Conference could continue its work.
Ojuland added that she had discussed everything with her Finnish colleague Erkki Tuomioja on his visit to Tallinn. “I am sure that we can achieve good results if Estonia, Finland and like minded countries work together in offering concrete solutions to EU problems,” said Ojuland. The ministers agreed to have one more unofficial meeting before the Intergovernmental Conference.
Estonia wants a couple of points revised in EU Constitutional Treaty
Sep 09 - The Estonian government has worked out its views concerning the EU Constitutional Treaty it is going to present at the intergovernmental conference.
Henrik Hololei, representative of the Estonian government in the Convention for the Future of Europe, said that Estonia aims to raise only a couple of important points at the intergovernmental conference.
He said Estonia wants a voting commissioner's seat reserved for all countries. Besides, Estonia wants the minimum number of European Parliament members from one country to be at least five, not four as suggested in the present draft.
"Voting by consensus in sensitive issues such as taxation, including tax fraud and tax evasion, must certainly be kept," Hololei added. He said it was also important to rule out such military cooperation in the European Union where a small number of countries would be going ahead in a sphere where progress could be achieved in cooperation between all EU countries.
Hololei said adoption of the Constitutional Treaty would not be followed by distribution of seats in the EU, but Estonia would be happy to see the former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponenn elected to a leading EU post.
"Finland has always been a very important and close partner for us and Finland's EU policy certainly serves as an example not just to Estonia but also to other future member countries," he said. "We would be very glad if a country so close to us such as Finland would be represented high in the EU hierarchy.
Halonen: EU helps manage in globalising world
Sep 09 - Finnish president Tarja Halonen said accession to the European Union (EU) would help better manage in the globalising world.
Halonen said after her meeting with Estonian President Arnold Rüütel that according to the Finnish experience it is easier to cope with globalisation in rather than outside the EU.
"I have said before that the EU is not a rose garden but there isn't any rose garden outside the EU either," the Finnish president added.
Also later in her speech in the National Library Halonen referred to globalisation as one of the main factors in the modern world. "The world economy has acquired some totally near features in connection with globalisation," she said. "By means of modern technology, products and capital move at lightning speed from country to country. The borders of nation-states are no longer as impassable as before." Halonen expressed the view that enlargement of the European Union would strengthen the positions and capacity to succeed also on the global level.
Halonen added that as Estonia and Finland have a rather similar understanding of world affairs, Estonia's accession could help influence not just the European Union but also the whole world.
In EU Estonians can complain to European ombudsman
Sep 11 - On accession to the European Union Estonians will gain the right to complain to the European ombudsman in case of dissatisfaction with EU institutions.
European ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros visiting Estonia said that he receives about 2,500 complaints a year and about 75 of them are against the Council of Europe.
Estonian Legal Chancellor Allar Joks said that acceding to the European Union, protection of the Estonians' human rights would not diminish, but a double mechanism would come into effect, so it will be possible to turn with complaints both to the European ombudsman and the Estonian legal chancellor.
Diamandouros is planning to visit all the European Union candidate countries and picked Estonia as his first destination. It is the first visit of the European ombudsman, the aim of the visit being to inform citizens of the European ombudsman's institution and its activity.
Estonian ambassador hands over credentials to George W. Bush
Sep 09 - Estonian Ambassador to the United Nations Juri Luik handed over his credentials to US President George W. Bush.
After the presentation of his credentials, the Estonian ambassador in Washington D.C. is invested with full powers and can start performing his official duties, informed a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry.
In his official response to Ambassador Luik's greeting during their brief meeting in the Oval Hall of the White House the United States president said that Estonia is welcome into the most successful alliance in history, the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The U.S. president praised the development of the Estonian economy and stated that “You have experienced economic growth since 1991 and many countries are envious.” Bush also found that Estonia has implemented high standards in terms of openness, transparency and the respect of law.
The U.S president pointed out that Estonian and American troops were standing against tyrants in Afghanistan and Iraq. If democratic countries hold together they will win, the president said.
Fifteen years ago the Estonian Singing Revolution was a model of the will of freedom and humanism to the world. Estonia's determination may help support similar peaceful revolutions throughout the world, Bush said.
DEFENCE NEWS
Estonia, Ukraine sign defence cooperation agreement
Sep 08 - Estonian Defence Minister and his Ukrainian counterpart Yevhen Marchuk signed an eight-article agreement on defence cooperation between the two defence ministries.
The cooperation will focus above all on legal consultancy and exchange of experience on NATO and defence forces reform, said a spokesman for the Defence Ministry.
The Estonian minister added that exchange of experience on international missions was added to the above as a new interesting topic. "At present Ukraine has peacekeeping missions in ten countries and the experience could be very useful for Estonia," Hanson said.
"Estonia is a good example of how fast it is possible to move on the NATO course in case of effective preparations. Ukraine, now launching on the road of accession to the alliance, regards the Estonian experience as very important for it. Our aim is clear -- Ukraine must become a full member in NATO," Marchuk said.
Open Spirit 2003 naval exercise finds 26 explosive devices in Gulf of Finland
Sep 14 - Ships taking part in the Open Spirit 2003 international naval exercise found 26 explosive devices, most of them near Estonia's Juminda Peninsula in the Gulf of Finland.
Apart from the explosive devices, 18 mine anchors were discovered. In all, the naval exercise cleared WW I and WW II explosive devices from 58 square kilometres of sea, informed spokespeople for the exercise.
The German co-chief of the exercise, Cmdr. Ulrich Linke, said that the goal to exercise cooperation between vessels from various countries and exchange know-how had been fulfilled.
"Cooperation has been getting better day by day," Linke said. He was also content with the participation of Russian mine trawlers in a similar exercise for the first time.
Together with the explosives cleared in the course of Open Spirit 2003, 247 mines and 59 other explosives, as well as 27 wrecks have been found in Estonian waters during mine clearance operations since 1995.
Estonia planning to double number of professionals in defence forces
Sep 08 - In two years there will be twice as many officers, non-coms and rank-and-file soldiers paid by defence forces then there are now, if the Defence Ministry sticks to its NATO-supported reform plan of putting 2,500 more men on the defence forces payroll.
"The number of enlisted men will apparently decline and that of professional soldiers increase. We are not speaking about figures, but one thing is certain -- this will not mean disappearance of the military service," said Defence Ministry public relations officer Madis Mikko.
"The trend is towards an emphasis on mobile combat-ready units both for Estonia's defence as well as international missions," he said.
ECONOMIC NEWS
Netherlands to support Estonian energy project in return for greenhouse gas allowance
Sep 08 - The Estonian and Dutch governments signed a memorandum of mutual understanding according to which the Netherlands will finance energy projects in Estonia in return for carbon dioxide emission allowances.
"The Ministry of Economy of the Netherlands made in 2000 a public offer directed primarily at countries in transition to purchase greenhouse gas emissions allowances. In return, the Netherlands is prepared to finance energy projects aimed at softening climate changes," the Environment Ministry here reported.
The ministry said Estonia has proposed to the Netherlands to finance the construction of a 50.6-megawatt wind generator park at Paldiski on the northwestern coast. In return, Estonia is prepared to trade a part of its carbon dioxide emission allowance.
Estonia has to date met its commitment under the Kyoto Protocol. In 2000 the country's emission of greenhouse gases made up 44 percent of the amount emitted in 1990, the base year of the protocol.
Estonia's Rakvere meat co gets permission to sell fresh meat to Europe
Sep 09 - The European Union handed Estonia's Rakvere Lihakombinaat (Rakvere Meat Processing Co) a certificate allowing the company to sell fresh pork on the European market.
Rakvere Lihakombinaat is the only industrial company in Estonia at the moment that has obtained the corresponding EU hygiene and structural conformity certificate, said spokespeople for the Ministry of Agriculture.
Rakvere Lihakombinaat has been included in the list of third-country companies, which are authorized to sell their output on the EU market.
The EU's Standing Committee on Food Chain gives the authorization to companies, which correspond to the EU common market's hygiene and structural requirements. Also the Estonian poultry producer AS Tallegg is expected to obtain the authorization soon in order to be able to export poultry to the EU market.
Finnish tax chief says no tax problem with Estonia
Sep 10 - Finnish Tax Administration Director General Jukka Tammi says that there are no problems between Estonia and Finland regarding the taxation of income of companies, as the relevant agreements have been signed.
Tammi, who was in Tallinn to attend an annual conference of the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrators (IOTA), said that matters of taxation were regulated by the Estonian-Finnish agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and that the Finnish national tax administration was behaving in accordance with that accord.
The case cited by the media where a Helsinki tax official wrote a tax claim to the Helsinki Consulting Group (HCG) over the profit of HCG's Estonian subsidiary was a separate event based on which no far-reaching conclusions should be made, said Tammi.
"In our opinion a thing like this shouldn't have happened, this is a matter of different interpretation of tax laws," Tammi said. "Now a court has to find a solution to the issue," he said.
A tax auditor of the Helsinki and Uusimaa tax department of Finland presented a tax claim to HCG in August this year concerning profit earned by the group's Estonian subsidiary in 2001, citing Estonia's low tax rates as the reason.
Number of registered jobless falls 2.4 pct in Estonia in August
Sep 10 - The number of registered unemployed in Estonia declined by 2.4 percent in August in comparison to July and totalled 40,277, which makes up 4.9 percent of the working-age population.
The number of people who turned to labour offices for the first time in August was 4,011. The number of people receiving jobless benefits was 17,569 in August, a decline of 3.6 percent from the monthbefore and 13.5 percent less than in August 2002.
SAS acquires 49 percent of Estonian Air
Sep 12 - The Scandinavian airline group SAS has signed an agreement with Maersk Air of Denmark to acquire 49 percent of the shares in the Estonian airline Estonian Air. The total purchase price is 180 million Swedish kronor, spokespeople for SAS Group said. Estonian Air will continue to operate as an independent airline under its own brand.
SAS also signed an agreement with the Estonian investment banking firm AS Cresco, the owner of 17 percent of shares in Estonian Air, covering a possible increase of SAS shareholding in the Estonian airline. The remaining 34 percent of the shares in Estonian Air are held by the Estonian state.
The acquisition is part of the SAS strategy to strengthen its position in the Baltic region, the news release by SAS Group said.
"Estonian Air is a profitable, strong and growing company in a strategically highly attractive region. Traffic to and from Estonia is expected to increase by at least 8-10 percent annually," said Gunnar Reitan, executive vice president of the SAS Group responsible for subsidiary and affiliated airlines.
Currency Rates in Kroons
September 14, 2003
British pound - GBP - 22.287
Canadian dollar - CAD - 10.208
Swiss franc - CHF - 10.073
Danish krone - DKK - 2.106
Japanese yen - JPY - 0.120
Latvian lat - LVL - 24.485
Lithuanian lit - LTL - 4.532
Norwegian krone - NOK - 1.887
Russian rouble - RUB - 0.456
Swedish krona - SEK - 1.714
US dollar - USD - 14.005
Euro - EUR - 15.646
SPORTS NEWS
Estonia's Pertelson takes silver in judo world championships
Sep 14 - Estonian athlete Indrek Pertelson took silver in the men's open class in the final event of the world judo championships in Osaka, losing to Japan's Keiji Suzuki in the finals.
Suzuki, the Asian Games gold medallist, received a caution, which placed him a koka point down of the Estonian, but suddenly used a leg technique to floor Pertelson and score an ippon victory.
Pertelson had secured a place in the semi finals with victories over China's Pan Song, Austria's Franz Birkfellner and Bosnia's Amel Mekici.
In the semifinals the Estonian overpowered Movlud Mirsaliyev of Azerbaijan, who in the end got a bronze together with Uzbekistan's Abdullo Tangriev.
Estonia won two medals at the judo world championships, with the 81 kg bronze going to Alexei Budolin.
CULTURAL NEWS
Drama festival 2003
In the second largest Estonian city, Tartu, a big theatre festival, “Drama 2003” took place. At the festival, all Estonian spoken word theatres performed their best pieces. Tartu, the centre of Southern Estonia, was the theatre capital. It was possible to attend 50 different performances in 16 various places.
The most important part of the festival was the official programme, where all Estonian theatres presented a performance of their choice, but with the stipulation that the piece has to have premiered at their theatre within the last two years. These 12 performances were also judged by an international jury.
Besides the official programme there was also a selection of plays by Estonian playwrights and a programme for children and youth.
It was also possible to participate in workshops, discussions, concerts, exhibitions and book presentations.
An exhibition of Estonian theatre posters was opened in the Estonian Folk Museum in Tartu.
The annual festival took place for the fifth time and there were more than 10 000 visitors.
Adolf Shapiro’s staging of "Fathers and sons" at the "Linnateater" won half of the awards, which were glass dices. Other glass dices were divided between the Estonian theatres "Vanemuine", "Vanalinnastuudio", "Draamateater" and "Von Krahl".
EESTI RINGVAADE is compiled from local news services, including BNS and ETA, and is issued by the Press and Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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