Estonian Review 11 - 17 June 2010

FOREIGN NEWS
DOMESTIC NEWS
DEFENCE NEWS
ECONOMIC NEWS
CULTURAL NEWS

FOREIGN NEWS

Baltic and German Foreign Ministers Discuss Opportunities to Develop EU-Russia Relations

11 June - Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet met with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Latvian Foreign Minister Aivis Ronis and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis in Tallinn. While talking about relations between the EU and Russia, Foreign Minister Paet noted that at the Rostov meeting a good basis was created for moving forward with the Modernisation Partnership, trade matters, negotiations for a new treaty, and visa dialogue. “Estonia feels it is important to share reform experiences, introduce e-services, and co-operate on the level of local governments. Regional and border area co-operation will remain a priority for Estonia as a European Union border state,” stated Foreign Minister Paet.
They also shared positions regarding the NATO Strategic Concept. The foreign ministers of Estonia, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania agreed that the work of the group of experts was thorough and provides a good basis for creating a new Strategic Concept. “All of the areas that needed to be addressed were represented in the report, and good proposals were made for resolving the challenges that stand before NATO,” added Foreign Minister Paet.
The foreign ministers also discussed the topic of energy security. Paet stated that in order to ensure EU energy security and have a joint energy policy in relation to third countries, it is necessary to diversify suppliers, create additional energy connections between member states, and create a functioning energy market in the EU. “We feel it is important to further expand the Energy Community into Eastern Partnership countries,” said Foreign Minister Paet. The Energy Community is the union of the European Commission and south-eastern European nations for creating a common energy market in south-eastern Europe based on EU legislation.
In talking about co-operation in the Baltic Sea region, the foreign ministers agreed that it will be strengthened by the effective implementation of the Baltic Sea Region Strategy.

President Ilves Hopes EU Accession Negotiations With Iceland Begin Soon

11 June - “Estonia will support Iceland in beginning accession negotiations with the European Union as persistently and decisively as Iceland supported the restoration of the independence of the Baltic States 20 years ago,” said President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, on a state visit to Iceland, at his meeting with Icelandic Head of State Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. “Just like the experiences of Iceland in these influential organisations helped Estonia regain its position within the international community, we are now ready to share experiences we have gained in the process of joining the EU,” he added, recalling the first seminar on the topic, organised by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which took place in April of this year. His sentiments were echoed in a statement by Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, who said that Estonia has always supported European Union enlargement, including in Northern Europe, and welcomes the beginning of Iceland’s accession negotiations.
President Ilves acknowledged how the Icelandic Government is not asking for any exceptions to be made in the accession process, but looks forward to the regular and honest process that has been pursued by all the other countries.
“Estonia also emphasises the importance of the Icesave case not interfering with the accession negotiations in any way, as this is an issue to be settled in the due course of negotiations between Iceland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom,” stressed President Ilves.
At his meeting with Prime Minister of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, President Ilves stated that Estonia sharing its accession experiences with Iceland is Estonians’ duty as committed Europeans and Estonia’s debt of honour to Iceland, who was the first to recognise the Republic of Estonia back in August of 1991.
President Ilves emphasised the fact that a small European country has no way of influencing the decisions of the EU in any way unless it is part of the European Union. “This is a strong argument, which should serve to dissipate the hesitations that many Icelanders have regarding the European Union,” said the Estonian head of state.
President Ilves and Prime Minister Sigurðardóttir, also discussed the effects of the most difficult economic and financial crisis in recent history.
“Both of us, Estonia and Iceland, can see the first signs of economic recovery; however, conservative budget policies remain important, and reducing unemployment is the most essential issue to be resolved,” said the Estonian head of state.
The Estonian Head of State also spoke about the plan to organise a Day of Iceland in Tallinn on 21 August 2011, which will be a part of the events organised to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Estonia regaining its independence and a special day to say ‘thank you’ to Iceland for supporting the independence of the Baltic states.
Prime Minister of Iceland Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir gave a dinner in her summer residence in honour of President Ilves and Mrs. Evelin Ilves; the President of Iceland, Mr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, and his wife, Mrs. Dorrit Moussaieff, were also present.
President Ilves also visited the Icelandic Parliament and gave a presentation entitled “Two Decades of Independence – Estonia as a Part of the International Community” in Reykjavík.

Latvian and Estonian Prime Ministers Discuss Future Co-operation

11 June - At a meeting in Riga, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip and Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis discussed future co-operation between their two countries. The discussion was based on the Report on Future Estonian-Latvian Co-operation, which was presented today. Prime Minister Ansip also acknowledged the success of the management exercised by his Latvian colleague during the economic crisis. “The situation in Latvia was extremely complicated, but it was stabilised as a result of hard decisions being made,” Prime Minister Ansip said. He added that both the Latvian and Estonian governments did everything in their power to allow their countries to recover as quickly as possible and continue their development.
The Report on Estonian-Latvian Co-operation was ordered by the foreign ministers of both countries in order to get a thorough overview of the co-operative potential of the two countries. The recently completed report includes 65 proposals in nine fields of activity.
According to Ansip, Estonia’s primary interest in implementing the report is the promotion of human relations. Among other things, this would result in closer integration of the border areas, for example, by marketing these areas as joint tourism regions, as well as the joint planning of vocational education in the border areas. At the same time, Estonia is also interested in the development of cross-border infrastructure. In the field of transportation, this would include repairing old border crossings, as well as advancing the progress of the Rail Baltica project. In order to involve NGOs and take the discussion to a broader audience, an Estonian-Latvian co-operation seminar will be organised this autumn. The objective of the seminar is to find expression for the ideas in the report in specific co-operation projects. “We can only put the proposals in the report into practice through working together,” Prime Minister Ansip stressed. According to the prime minister, resources from the EU Regional Development Fund, among other things, can help to implement the ideas presented in the report – the volume of the Estonian-Latvian co-operation programme until 2013 is 580 million EEK.

German Foreign Minister Recognises Estonia’s Fulfilment of Euro Criteria

12 June - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, in Tallinn for a visit, said during his meeting with Foreign Minister Urmas Paet that Germany has firmly supported Estonia adopting the euro because Estonia has fulfilled all the necessary requirements. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that both the European Commission and the European Central Bank decided that Estonia had sustainably fulfilled the Maastricht criteria for acceding to the euro zone. “Adhering to the policies that allow us to join the euro zone is one of the most important outcomes of Estonia’s long-term economic policy,” said Paet. Foreign Minister Paet also noted that Estonia is convinced that the euro zone will emerge from the present crisis stronger than before.
Paet said that Estonia highly values its defence and security policy-related co-operation with Germany, which has become much more frequent during the past years. “Germany is the first nation to participate in the Baltic air policing mission three times,” said Paet, adding that we welcome Germany’s readiness to do it again in the future. “Close communication between Estonia and Germany is important to Estonia,” Paet added.

European Union to Help Victims of Kyrgyzstan Conflict

14 June - Foreign Minister Urmas Paet participated in a meeting of the European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg. The European Union foreign ministers discussed today’s violent situation in Kyrgyzstan and condemned the use of violence. Foreign Minister Paet confirmed that the EU plans to begin administering humanitarian aid immediately. The European Union Foreign Affairs Council strongly called on Kyrgyzstan to take steps to create a stable government. Paet stated that it is essential that Kyrgyzstan’s neighbouring states also help refugees and contribute to settling the situation there.
The European Union foreign policy leaders continued to talk about the unstable situation in Gaza and the incident with the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet believes that it is extremely important to carry out a complete and unbiased investigation to clarify the circumstances of the attack on the flotilla taking humanitarian aid to Gaza. The European Union Foreign Affairs Council called for the border crossing points to be immediately, permanently and without conditions opened up to the movement of humanitarian aid, goods and people into and out of the Gaza Strip. The European Union foreign ministers feel that a long-term and lasting solution to the conflict must be based on the co-existence of the two nations.
While talking about the situation in Iran, the EU foreign minister discussed the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution nr 1929 approved on 9 June, with which the arms embargo, financial sanctions and travel restrictions will be expanded. They also prepared the declaration on Iran for the European Council taking place on 17 June. The EU foreign ministers agreed that the human rights situation in Iran still requires attention.
During their meeting, the foreign policy leaders also confirmed the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that the success of each state depends on the nation’s own efforts towards acceding to the European Union. “It is essential to intensify the pace of reforms, in particular related to the rule of law, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, while also strengthening co-operation among the nations in the Western Balkan region,” Paet noted.
While talking about Serbia, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Serge Brammertz gave the European Union foreign ministers an overview of Serbia’s ongoing co-operation with the ICTY, characterising it as generally good, although war criminals Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić still have not been apprehended. Foreign Minister Paet confirmed that the EU foreign ministers agreed to submit the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia to their parliaments for ratification.
In discussing the situation in Somalia and developments in the fight against piracy, the EU foreign ministers commended Operation ATALANTA for its successes in deterring, preventing and disrupting pirates’ activities and agreed to prolong the operation for two more years, until December 2012. “It is essential to avoid impunity for crimes of piracy and achieve agreements with countries in the region regarding the prosecution of pirates,” said Foreign Minister Paet.
During the General Affairs Council, the European Union foreign ministers prepared for the European Council taking place on 17 June, where the focus will be on the Europe 2020 strategy, preparations for the G20 meeting, and issues regarding the co-ordination of economic policy. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that for Estonia, the most important decision of the European Council is the one regarding Estonia’s accession to the euro zone.

Estonia and Great Britain Have Good Co-operation in Afghanistan

15 June - Foreign Minister Urmas Paet met in Luxembourg with the new Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom William Hague, with whom he discussed Estonia-Great Britain co-operation in Afghanistan and bilateral relations. Paet and Hague were satisfied with the good co-operation between Estonia and Great Britain in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Paet stated that the co-operation of Estonia’s civil and military representatives with their British colleagues in Afghanistan is very good.
Paet and Hague expressed hope that the NATO military strategy in Afghanistan will be successful. “Consistency and long-term projects are the only way we can move forward in Afghanistan and hand responsibility for managing the nation over to the Afghans,” Paet noted. “It is also important to improve the skills of the Afghan officials and state government so they can successfully participate in international co-operation,” said Foreign Minister Paet.
Foreign Minister Paet added that Estonia will continue to contribute in Afghanistan within the limits of the Riigikogu mandate. “Estonia will also continue to actively implement development co-operation projects in Afghanistan,” he added.
Paet said that Estonia-Britain relations are very close and active. Foreign Minister Paet issued an invitation for his British colleague to visit Estonia, which William Hague accepted.

Paet Discussed Situation in Middle East With Foreign Minister of Palestinian Authority

17 June - Today in Tallinn Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Foreign Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Riad Malki will sign the protocol for holding political consultations between Estonia and Palestine. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that the Estonian Foreign Ministry has already started development co-operation projects in Palestine to share Estonia’s experiences in the information technology and e-government sectors.
The Palestinians expressed interest in Estonia’s e-state experiences in 2008. “The Estonian Foreign Ministry began sharing our e-state experiences in order to help with building up the rule of law system in Palestine,” Paet noted. “Since 2009 there have been two development co-operation projects related to the information technology sector going on in Palestine. The goal of one is to prepare for establishing an X-Road system in the Palestinian National Authority. The other, being carried out with co-financing by UNESCO, is helping develop the use of information and communication technology in the Palestinian education system,” Paet stated.
In addition to bilateral co-operation, the Estonian and Palestinian foreign ministers also talked about matters related to the Middle East peace process. “Estonia supports resolving the conflict as quickly as possible and achieving the peaceful co-existence of both states,” said Foreign Minister Paet. “We are satisfied with the initiative of the United States to mediate negotiations between Palestine and Israel. Hopefully the mediated negotiations will lead to direct contacts and sustainable solutions between Palestine and Israel; however, the support of the international community and monitoring of the situation will still be necessary in the long-term,” he added.
During the meeting Paet confirmed that Estonia supports the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people, as well as a two-state solution. The foreign minister stated that the creation of an independent Palestinian state would help to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East. “Estonia would also like closer contacts with Palestine. This is why we are signing the agreement to hold political consultations with Palestine,” he added. Paet stated that the poor humanitarian situation in Gaza needs to be resolved quickly without damaging the security interests of Israel. “The humanitarian crisis caused by the Gaza blockade needs a quick solution, as the continuation of the situation endangers efforts to move forward with the peace process,” he asserted.
The Palestinian foreign minister thanked Estonia for its contribution into building up Palestine. “Estonia has successfully launched the sharing of e-state-related knowledge with Palestine,” he said.
The Estonian foreign minister confirmed that Estonia is prepared to continue supporting the e-state programmes of Palestine. Estonia is also inviting 15 Palestinian diplomats to participate in courses at the Estonian School of Diplomacy. “We are also prepared to contribute to the establishment of Palestine’s own diplomatic school,” Paet added.

Baden-Württemberg Makes Estonia One of Six Primary Economic Co-operation Partners

17 June - While meeting with entrepreneurs of the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that the close ties between Estonia and Baden-Württemberg will gain momentum thanks to the decision of Baden-Württemberg’s foreign trade organisation to make Estonia one of its six economic co-operation partners.
Paet met with big industrialists and active exporters interested in Estonia’s innovations and developments in Baden-Württemberg on 16 June, and noted that Estonia is interested in co-operation in many fields with one of Germany’s most prosperous and economically successful states. “The first official contacts in bilateral communication between Estonia and Baden-Württemberg were established during President Lennart Meri’s state visit to Germany in 2000, and the development of bilateral economic co-operation still has potential,” said Paet. “The Estonian Foreign Ministry is focusing more and more actively on the interests of Estonian entrepreneurs abroad and supports finding co-operation opportunities with potential co-operation partners,” he added.
Paet also told the Baden-Württemberg entrepreneurs about Estonia’s preparations for joining the euro zone and added that being part of the euro zone will simplify the development of bilateral economic relations.
Baden-Württemberg is the state where the Baltic Sea Region and Danube Strategies meet. Foreign Minister Paet stated that the Baltic Sea Region Strategy is a good example and model for the creation of new European Union regional strategies. “Regional strategies, like both the Baltic Sea and Danube Strategies, give good opportunities for facilitating the free movement of the four freedoms of the EU – people, goods, services, and capital – and support discussions on the future of the internal market, including the topic of a digital internal market,” Paet noted.

Visa Freedom for Estonians Would Intensify Estonia-Brazil Relations

17 June - During his meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim today, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that hopefully citizens of all European Union nations will soon have visa-free access to Brazil, particularly since visa freedom for Brazilian citizens travelling to all EU nations has already been in effect for years.
The Estonian and Brazilian foreign ministers agreed that communication between Estonia and Brazil has intensified during the past few years, but there is still room for development in business and cultural contacts. Foreign Minister Paet expressed hope that the European Union-Brazil visa freedom agreement would be signed at the EU-Brazil summit in July. “In order to put an end to the unequal treatment of European Union citizens, the European Union must conclude the visa freedom agreement with Brazil as quickly as possible. Achieving visa-free travel to Brazil for citizens of Estonia, Latvia, Cyprus and Malta has taken far too long,” Paet noted.
Brazil is Estonia’s most important trade partner among Latin American countries. “Estonian entrepreneurs have growing interest in closer contacts with their Brazilian colleagues in the oil shale energy, information and communication technology, and tourism sectors,” said Paet. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that Brazil is one of the EU’s most important partners in Latin America in regards to both political relations and economic co-operation.
Today in Tallinn Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim signed an agreement for holding political consultations between Estonia and Brazil. The foreign ministers also discussed Estonia and Brazil’s IT-related co-operation in restoring the Haitian state.

DOMESTIC NEWS

Ilves Opens Conference on Cyber Conflict

16 June - President Toomas Hendrik Ilves opened the third international conference organised by the NATO-accredited Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. In his opening speech, President Ilves touched upon the asymmetry of cyber threats and other issues.
According to President Ilves there have already been cases of actual or prevented aggression against nation-states carried out in cyberspace: “Were they to have been carried out with kinetic weapons, we in NATO would be faced minimally with an Article 4 and most likely with an Article 5 scenario.” However, as President Ilves said, “we have no conception of how to define aggression in cyberspace or redefine it for cyberspace; we lack clear attribution to any political entity; we lack a response doctrine to apply were we to know who committed the aggression; and we have not dealt with the possibility of asymmetry, i.e., what if an effectively military action was perpetrated in its entirety by a small group of unknown hackers. Before we can talk about the hardware and software side of cyber defence and cyber warfare, we have to develop a conceptual consensus.”
President Ilves said that since our critical infrastructure, electrical grids and transportation and mobile phone networks are so enmeshed with and tied to the internet, any open society is vulnerable. “As much of our critical infrastructure is also transnational – we require a transnational approach. We need to make our transnational computer-dependent critical infrastructure resilient, that is to say, if not impervious then at least maximally shielded from the dangers of an attack,” President Ilves stressed.
The Conference on Cyber Conflict brought together more than 300 computer security specialists from 39 countries. During the event, experts from government, private sector and the academia will discuss cyber security in three parallel conference tracks: strategy, law and technical. Upcoming keynote speakers include renowned cryptographer Bruce Schneier and former cyber security adviser to the US president, Melissa Hathaway. The Conference on Cyber Conflict unites two highly-regarded events that CCD COE held in 2009: the Conference on Cyber Warfare in June and the Legal and Policy Conference in September. The conference will end on Friday 18 June.
The Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence is a NATO-accredited multinational organisation dealing with education, consultation, lessons learned, research and development in the field of cyber security. The centre’s mission is to enhance the capability, cooperation and information sharing among NATO, NATO nations and Partners in cyber defence.

Second Book of Jakobson Commission’s Review Presented at Finnish National Archives

14 June - Today the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki will present the second book of the Estonian International Commission for Investigating Crimes Against Humanity, “Estonia Since 1944”, in the Finnish National Archives. The book gives an overview of oppressive activities carried out by the Soviet Union in occupied Estonia between 1944 and 1991.
The presentation will be opened by Estonian Ambassador to Finland Merle Pajula, director of the Finnish National Archives Jussi Nuorteva, and chairman of the investigative commission Minister Max Jakobson. A greeting has been sent to the presentation by Finnish President Tarja Halonen.
A presentation on the activities and the results of the investigation carried out by the commission led by Minister Jakobson will be given by the leader of the commission’s investigative committee Toomas Hiio. Members of the investigative committee Meelis Saueauk and Indrek Paavle will talk about the arrests and deportations carried out in Estonia by Soviet security establishments in the 1940s and 50s and the actions of the German security establishments in accordance with their occupation regime from 1941-44.
The review “Estonia Since 1944” is the result of ten years of work by the investigative commission summoned together by President Lennart Meri. The book comprises five parts. In the first part an overview is given of the historical situation, in the second the oppressive organs of the Soviet regime are described, and in the third and longest part of the book the crimes against humanity committed in Estonia during the Soviet occupation are described. The fourth part of the book contains descriptions of the prisons and prison camps in occupied Estonia and the fifth part contains biographies, a bibliography and appendices.
The commission, which worked from 1998 to 2009, included in addition to Minister Max Jakobson also former Danish Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, security analyst Dr. Paul Goble, member of the board of the American Jewish Committee Nicholas Lane, George Washington University professor Peter Reddaway, chairman of the scientific council of the Russian organisation “Memorial” Arseni Roginsky, and former Bundestag member Professor Baron Wolfgand von Stetten. The first book of the International Commission for Investigating Crimes Against Humanity, which addressed the years 1940-1944, was published in 2006.
Before the presentation, Ambassador Merle Pajula will present Finnish author Sofi Oksanen with the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana IV Class, which the President of the Republic bestowed on Oksanen in recognition of her work introducing Estonian history. Her novel “Purge” and her article compilation compiled together with Imbi Paju “Fear Behind Us All” address the consequences of the Soviet and German occupations in Estonia from many different points of view.

DEFENCE NEWS

Meeting of National Defence Council Took Place in Kadriorg

15 June - A meeting of the National Defence Council took place yesterday at the invitation of President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Several issues related to national defence and its organisational aspects were discussed at the meeting. One of the matters discussed involved bringing national defence expenditure up to 2% of GDP by 2012; all the members of the National Defence Council supported the idea.
“I would like to recognise the Riigikogu and the government, who have not allowed the rate of defence expenditure to GDP to drop considerably, even under the tough budget conditions; consequently, Estonia has maintained a strong national defence,” said President Ilves. “The plan of the current government – to bring the level of defence-related expenditure up to the long-expected and long-promised rate of 2% of GDP – shows that we are not just keeping national defence on a solid level, but we can also modernise and develop it even further.”
The National Defence Council is an advisory body of the President of the Republic. The Council membership includes the speaker of the Riigikogu, prime minister, chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, foreign minister, defence minister, minister of finance, minister of the interior, minister of justice, and commander of the Defence Forces.

President Participated in International Large-Scale BALTOPS Exercise

15 June - Today President Toomas Hendrik Ilves participated in the international large-scale BALTOPS exercise and observed the Estonian and US defence force members practicing landing exercises from Hara Gulf. President Ilves said, “BALTOPS is a historical exercise, as it is not only the largest but also perhaps the longest-running exercise on the Baltic Sea, now in its 39th year.”
According to the Estonian head of state, BALTOPS is a good example of the successful rearrangement of NATO’s defence traditions to meet today’s security situation. "Who would have guessed just twenty years ago that units of Estonia and the United States of America would be organising a joint landing exercise on the northern shores of Estonia,” President Ilves said.
The USA and the countries located around the Baltic Sea, 12 countries in all, are participating in the BALTOPS navy exercise. Training involving the landing and reception of the allied forces will be organised this year within the framework of the exercise for the first time in Estonia and Latvia. Approximately 1 500 Defence Forces members from Estonia, the USA, and NATO staff will participate in the Estonian stage of BALTOPS.
In the course of today’s exercise, the united unit of the Marines and the Defence League reached the coast near Loksa Harbour from the US navy ship Gunston Hall, using Amtrak amphibians. The MIG-29 fighter planes of the Polish Air Forces, which are currently conducting Baltic air surveillance, conducted a fly-over during the landing process.

Defence Minister: BALTOPS Testifies to Credibility of Collective Defence

15 June - The landing manoeuvres conducted under the aegis of the international military exercises BALTOPS taking place in Loksa were observed by the Defence Minister Jaak Aaviksoo, who noted that the exercises showed NATO’s clear intent of fulfilling its primary purpose. “The exercises conducted today bears testimony to the fact that NATO is not a mere formality existing only on paper, but an alliance that is prepared and ready to fulfil its primary duty of guaranteeing the security of the national territories of its member states,” the defence minister noted after observing the exercises.
“It is in a way symbolic that the landing that was conducted today, took place on the very same spot as the first naval incursion during the Estonian War of Independence 91 years ago. If back then the Estonian landing forces were augmented by Finns, then today we witnessed a joint operation between members of the National Defence League and US Marines,” Aaviksoo added. The defence minister pointed to the fact that “in the contemporary world, the provision of security is ever more a collective effort.”
Under the exercise scenario, the units are tasked with clearing the area of enemy activities during the course of the exercises taking place until 17-18 June, thereby facilitating the creation of conditions for the secure provision of humanitarian relief to the conflict zone.
BALTOPS are the most extensive military exercises in the Baltic Sea region, involving around 3000 military personnel from 12 countries. For the first time since the onset of the exercises the manoeuvres conducted include landings and receiving allied forces in Estonia and Latvia.

ECONOMIC NEWS

European Parliament Backs Estonia’s Switch to Euro in 2011

16 June (BNS) - The European Parliament by a big majority of votes approved MEP Edward Scicluna's report on Estonia's changeover to the euro currency from the start of next year. The report was approved with 589 votes to 40.
Previously the recommendation for Estonia to be admitted to the euro zone was approved by the European Parliament's economic and monetary affairs committee by a vote of 40 to two with one abstention on 2 June.
The rapporteur, Maltese Labor MEP Edward Scicluna, wrote in the document that Estonia acted well in taking prompt action during the eruption of the economic crisis, cutting costs and increasing the flexibility of the labour market. The report notes that Estonia has fulfilled the criteria, as a result of determined, credible and sustained efforts by the government and the Estonian people. It calls on the Estonian government to maintain its prudent fiscal policy stance, together with its overall stability-oriented policies, in the face of future macroeconomic imbalances and price stability risks. It also calls on the Commission and the ECB to consider all aspects when recommending the final exchange rate for the Estonian kroon.
The next body that has to endorse Estonia's euro zone entry from the start of next year is the European Council, which will gather in Brussels on Thursday. The final decision on Estonia's entry into the euro zone will be made by the Council of European Union finance ministers ECOFIN on 13 July.

TTÜ Gets US Patent for Materials Study Method

11 June (BNS) - Estonia's Tallinn University of Technology (TTÜ) has received a US patent for a materials study method that makes it possible to establish the properties of substances, materials and structures. One of the authors of the invention, TTU Professor Mart Min, Friday told BNS that this time the Estonians would attempt to keep the invention in Estonia and prepare it for serial production.
According to Min, it has been said that the US patent of the invention could be the first in the Estonian period of the university. Min suspects this could be the first Estonian US patent since the restoration of independence (1991).
Min said that there were agreements with some small companies for the preparation of the invention for serial production. Earlier Min has told BNS that it could cost in the range of 10 million kroons (EUR 640 000).
The invention makes it possible to decide the properties of a substance, structure or material on the basis of an electrical simulation signal. One of the structures could be man, starting with cells, cell cultures, tissues or organs. For example, the invention would make it possible assess how the restoration of circulation proceeds in tissues after an operation.
To take the method into use, it is necessary to develop medical instruments. According to earlier information, they are being developed by the Eliko technology development centre.

Estonia Tied With Denmark in 2nd Place on European Sustainability Scoreboard

17 June (BNS) - Estonia and Denmark are tied in second place in the latest table ranking European countries by the European Economic Sustainability Index (EESI). In the EESI scoreboard for 2007, Estonia was in first place.
The table for 2010, compiled like the previous such survey by the European Policy Center (EPC) think tank, is topped by Sweden. After Estonia and Denmark comes Finland in 4th place. Lithuania ranks 19th and Latvia 23rd. At the bottom of the table ranking EU member states come Portugal, Italy and Greece, in that order. The think tank describes the latter three countries as unsustainable.
The index is constructed using six domains: deficits, national debt, growth, competitiveness as expressed in the world competitiveness rankings of the World Economic Forum, governance/corruption as expressed in the perceived corruption index of Transparency International, and the cost of ageing expressed in future outlays for pensions, health care, education and employment.

Ericsson Eesti More Than Triples Turnover in 2009

14 June (BNS) - The turnover of the Estonian communications systems sale and maintenance and telecommunications networks planning company Ericsson Eesti grew 3.4-fold year on year in 2009, reaching 1.51 billion kroons (EUR 96.5 mln). Net profit soared 85.6% to 36.9 million kroons.
Sales to member states of the EU accounted for 1.5 billion kroons of the total sales revenue, including 312.8 million kroons generated in Estonia. The corresponding figures in 2008 were 442.9 million and 389.3 million kroons, respectively. Sales to non-EU countries made up 11.9 million kroons.
The company's largest customer beside the parent group was the Estonian mobile communications operator EMT, the report said.
On 1 August 2009, Ericsson acquired production activities of the electronic components manufacturer Elcoteq on the basis of which its Tallinn plant started making broadband equipment for networks. The transaction boosted the company's personnel by 1 243 people. Ericsson Eesti expanded its services segment in Estonia into maintenance of mobile communications networks. According to the report, export of services continued growing last year.
The company's investments totalled 166.9 million kroons in 2009. Most of the money was spent on purchasing production equipment and fittings. The company's payroll costs amounted to 112 million kroons last year. The remuneration of the management totalled 10.2 million kroons.
In view of expansion of production, Ericsson Eesti targets turnover growth in 2010. The company exports most of its high-tech production. Ericsson will increase the output of 4G mobile communications systems equipment this year.

SW Railways Sees Passenger Numbers Grow in May

14 June (BNS) - Edelaraudtee (SW Railway), the operator of domestic passenger trains in Estonia, carried 159 151 passengers in May, or 4 800 more than during the same month last year. The number of passengers increased for the third month running, the company said.
The total number of passengers served in the first five months of this year was narrowly short of 700 000 but showed a growth of 3.1% compared to the same period of 2009. The Tallinn-Tartu service had 9% more passengers than at the same time last year.
The Tallinn-Türi-Viljandi service remains the company's most popular operation, accounting for one third of the total number of passengers, Edelaraudtee said. Since the beginning of the year trains running on that route have carried 248 178 people in all. The Tallinn-Tartu service had 180 339 passengers.
The Tallinn-Tapa-Narva service had 71 217, the Tallinn-Rapla service 69 059, the Tallinn-Parnu service 67 474, the Tallinn-Valga service 52 295, and the Tartu-Orava service 9 296 passengers.
In all, Edelaraudtee carried 698 398 passengers in the January-May period.

CULTURAL NEWS

Exhibit of New Estonian Design Opened in Helsinki Embassy

16 June - An exhibit of new Estonian product designs called “Fresh Takes” will be opened in the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki. The display, which was done in co-operation with the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, presents a fresh design image formed by the clear concepts of eye-catching Estonian designers and their works.
Estonian design today is characterised on the one hand by individuality, creativity and practicality, but on the other hand it also frequently includes connections to tradition and heritage. These two aspects are tied by playful re-imagining.
The goal of the exhibit is to show through everyday items the ability of Estonian designers to be innovative, change existing notions and shatter clichés, but also to refer to what has been, using it intelligently and developing it further. The chosen designers have the opportunity to introduce themselves as proponents of innovative ideas that reconsider traditions and break convention.
The exhibit was compiled for the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki by Kai Lobjakas and designed by Ketli Tiitsar of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design. Design fans and all other passers-by can get a first glimpse of the exhibit by simply casting a glance into the embassy’s yard while passing by.

Queen Elizabeth II Decorates Estonian Ballet Dancers

15 June (BNS) - Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) to former dancers of the English National Ballet Age Oks and Toomas Edur from Estonia on her official birthday.
Oks and Edur received the decoration for the development of cultural relations between Great Britain and Estonia and for furthering the art of dance, the British Embassy informed BNS.
Oks (Oaks) and Edur were dancers of the English National Ballet since 1990 until their return to Estonia last summer. The embassy said that during nine years, Oks and Edur performed ballet at the highest level in the English National Ballet.
The British Embassy expressed the hope that cultural relations between Estonia and Great Britain would continue developing now that Oks and Edur were working as artistic directors of the Estonian National Ballet.