Co-operation

• The Baltic Sea Strategy
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The Baltic Sea Strategy

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves writes about the Baltic Sea Strategy, stating that the key to the development of the Baltic Sea countries and the entire EU is cooperation. Last autumn, the ground was laid for a new EU project – the Baltic Sea Strategy (BSS). It’s important for the EU as a whole. The EU has several regional projects underway; the BSS primarily targets the EU countries that strive towards stronger and more open mutual contacts. The main goal of the strategy is to improve the quality of the Baltic Sea. Now that most of the coastline belongs to the EU region, environmental work is freed from political tensions. Another aim is to develop and strengthen the EU targets, including the four freedoms. We can enjoy the freedom of movement, but in everyday life we cannot seem to be able to escape the hassle of bureaucracy. Despite free movement of goods and capital, the businesses face hardships, too. Taking your business abroad is difficult, competition is restricted. Now that the countries are facing the music of economic recession, any restriction on free enterprise slows down economic recovery and increases unemployment at national level. We can circumvent red tape and administrative burden if reduction of such obstacles is set as a target for the BSS. However, most promise and inspiration can be found in the creation of synergies and forms of cooperation allowing us to overcome the disadvantages of being small. (Kuvalehti, 4/2010)

The current state and the future of the Baltic Sea are worrying. It is the largest and most polluted inland sea in the world. Alleviating the environmental concerns is not easy – the sea has a coastline with nine countries polluting it. As early as in 1980 the Helsinki Convention was signed. Subject to the latter the signatories undertake to reduce pollution, protect the marine environment and preserve population diversity. The convention was revised in 2000. Helcom, established to put into effect what the convention stipulates, has to a large extent failed as to the achievement of the key goals. The BSS created last year seems to remain toothless unless generously funded from the EU’s budget. The Baltic Sea Summit in Helsinki this Wednesday obligates governments as well as the business sector to make clear commitments to develop and protect the region. It takes everybody’s efforts to save the shallow and polluted inland sea. Whether the summit carries a promise of a better tomorrow remains to be seene. (Turun Sanomat, 08.02)

Hopefully, the Baltic Sea Summit in Helsinki will provide impetus for saving one of the world’s most heavily polluted seas. Political will is the key here. Luckily some still believe in saving the sea. The guest list of the summit is impressive: Prime Ministers of Russia, Estonia, Norway and Denmark, the Presidents of Latvia and Lithuania and the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustav. What’s more, Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister of Russia will be there and he’s the one to get things rolling in Russia, the biggest polluter of the Baltic Sea. It would have been important, too, that the President or the Prime Minister of Poland would have attended the meeting. The responsibility for a successful summit, however, lies primarily with the organisers. They should be able to create a new action-inspiring spirit of Helsinki, this time for the benefit of the Baltic Sea. (Kaleva, 09.02)

We've got visitors

Finland has a special relationship with Estonia, and so does its President Tarja Halonen. Tarja Halonen was the only EU foreign minister to consistently speak for the Estonia’s EU membership. Germany, for example, was against the Baltic States joining the Union. Halonen emphasised that each Baltic country shall be treated as an sovereign state under the same conditions as any other nation. Now Finland supports Estonia on its way to join the euro zone.
Presidents of the nations underlined the special relationship. “Sometimes you resemble Finland too much, sometimes you appear to be wiser,” Halonen said at a press conference in Tallinn. (Helsingin Sanomat, 05.05)

Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, is on an official visit to Tallinn. Djankov met with his Estonian colleague Jürgen Ligi to discuss Estonia’s intention to join the Euro zone. Ligi introduced the successful measures Estonia has taken for tackling the budget deficit. Simeon Djankov talked about Bulgaria’s economic situation. The two Finance Ministers both expressed opinion that the Central and Eastern European countries will contribute to the economic recovery in Europe. (Novinite, 31.05)

President Ilves has stated that Georgia needs to show patience and commit itself to the successful construction of the country. Ilves highlighted Estonia’s support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and underlined that Estonia will never recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Ilves emphasised Georgia’s amazing progress with regard to economic reforms, adding that the country has also carried out reforms in democracy and rule of law. Saakashvili highlighted Ilves’ great service to Georgia as an economic counsellor and bestowed on him the Order of Saint George as a symbol of the loyalty. (The Messenger, 22.01)

The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived in Estonia for a three day visit. Ilham Aliyev’s visit marks the first time in Estonian history that an Azerbaijani president has made a state visit to the country. The main objective of the visit is to deepen the relevant political dialogue, promote the bilateral agreement base as well as economic cooperation. Cooperation opportunities in IT, science and culture will also be discussed. President Ilham Aliyev’s visit plan includes meetings with the Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves as well as Prime Minister Andrus Ansip. Aliyev will visit the ICT Demo Centre, host a lecture in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, place a floral garland next to the liberty monument and meet the mayor of Tallinn. During the visit, the Azerbaijani president is accompanied by Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who will meet with the Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet. The foreign ministers will sign an agreement for the protection of investments between Estonia and Azerbaijan as well as a visa waiver agreement for users of diplomatic passports. (APA AzerTAj, News.Az., 07.04)

During a Washington press conference, State Department spokesman assistant secretary Philip Crowley commented on State Secretary Hillary Clinton’s visit to Estonia. Clinton thanked her colleague Urmas Paet for Estonia’s active participation in various NATO missions, including that in Afghanistan. Describing Estonia’s activities in the alliance, Crowley called Estonia a fighter that is successfully performing in a higher than its own weight category. (Голос Америки, 23.04)

We visit

During the official visit of the President of Estonia to Israel, President Shimon Peres warned of the threat a nuclear Iran poses. During the visit where president Ilves was greeted by a military ceremony, the risks that accompany Iran’s plans to build a nuclear bomb in the next two years were discussed. Peres emphasized that Iran’s current dictatorship promotes terror, spreads fear among the people and, with its nuclear energy related plans, poses a threat to a number of countries.
Peres added that the size of the Estonian delegation refers to the depths of Israeli-Estonian relations and that he believes that the Estonian President’s visit will also expand economic relations between the two countries. Israel sees Estonia as the leader in the Balticum in terms of economy and technology.
Ilves, in his turn, noted that Estonia as a member of NATO and the European Union supports Israel and, as a small country, sympathizes with Israel’s struggle of existence. (The Jerusalem Post, 29.06)

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves concluded a 2-day visit to Poland. During the visit he met with Bronisław Komorowsk, the acting President of Poland and the speaker of the Polish Parliament, and the Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorsk. Estonian-Polish relations and cooperation within the EU was discussed with Bronisław Komorowsk. President Ilves emphasised that close relations with Poland are important for Estonia. It is important for Poland as one of the big nations in the EU to assume a more dominant position. President Ilves was also named Honorary Doctor of Lublin University. (The News, 20.5)

Jordan and Estonia signed an agreement on investment protection to promote economic cooperation between the two countries. The agreement was signed by Estonian PM Andrus Ansip and Jordan’s PM Samir Rifai. Rifai stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations, especially in the field of economy and trade. Rifai briefed Ansip on the Jordanian megaprojects in the areas of energy and transport. Expressing his country’s desire to enhance its relations with Jordan, Ansip cited the fields of tourism and energy as possible areas of cooperation. During the visit the two countries will also enter into a concession agreement to exploit the Jordan’s oil shale deposits. (Jordan Times, 11.05)

The objective of Estonian Ambassador Simmu Tiik’s visit to Krasnoyarsk was to establish new cultural as well as economic relations. Tiik was happy to see how local Estonians are living in the area. “It seems to me that Estonians and Russians in Siberia get along better than Siberians and Moscowers,” Tiik noted. The Ambassador promised to organize a prompt visit to Krasnoyarsk of a delegation of Estonian entrepreneurs. Mayor Pjotr Pimachkov emphasized that Estonia and the Krasnoyarsk Krai can take advantage of a number of opportunities to establish long term partnership relations – in the industry domain, for example. (Красноярск и Эстония намерены развивать сотрудничество, Независимое информационное агентство, 19.03)