BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

What Estonia says about Russia : last decade of March 2007

The media has been concerned that the signing of the Russian-Latvian border treaty may increase pressure on Estonia both from the European Union and Russia. "Now, Estonia remains the only Baltic nation not to have a border treaty with Russia. Who is to blame for this? Is it only Moscow that keeps talking about Estonia having joined the Soviet Union voluntarily, and ignoring the Tartu peace treaty ? But the Latvians were even under stronger pressure from Moscow. Yet they have signed the treaty and feel quite comfortable... Riga has clearly realized, as Helsinki did at one time, that it is not possible to build relations with Russia exclusively through Brussels. It is hard to predict when Tallinn will understand this as well." (Postimees, March 28).

"The EU hopes that the Latvian-Russian breakthrough will show the way for Estonia," said spokeswoman for the European Commission Emma Udwin... A European official who preferred to remain anonymous said that the message for Tallinn is short - 'Do it.' Brussels does not care about the terms." (Eesti Päevaleht, March 28).

"Pressure on Estonia will be mounting, although it won't be direct...In the 1990s, Russia continuously criticized Latvia for alleged violations of minority rights and exoneration of Nazism whereas now it is silent on Latvia's score, and has even offered a reward - better terms of transit. Russian criticism is now spearheaded against Estonia... Russia not only wants to discredit Tallinn but also to set it at loggerheads with Riga." (Eesti Päevaleht, March 28).

Estonian busy roads frog killers

* Environmentalists want to build frog tunnels under Estonian roads to help protect the migration paths of amphibians. The National Nature Conservation Center and the National Road Administration have begun charting frog migration paths, and have asked residents to keep an eye out for frogs crossing the road as they move to their spawning areas.

Surveys suggest that up to 95 percent of frogs are killed as they cross busy roads.

Estonian charged for beating to death Cyprus waiter

* An Estonian man has been charged with beating a waiter to death after being presented with a large bill. The man, identified as 26-year old Aivar Paphose, was arrested on the island of Cyprus and remains in prison awaiting court proceedings.

Police allege Paphose had been drinking at a nightclub and became violent when asked to pay a bill of 150 Cypriot pounds (258 euro).

Chocolate bear better than no bear

By Joel Alas

TALLINN - The residents of Ruhnu will be given a 36-kilogram chocolate bear to compensate for the departure of an ice-traveling brown bear which spent a summer on the tiny Estonian island. Latvian confectionary maker Laima crafted the huge chocolate bear and presented it to the administrator of Ruhnu island on April 4.

New coalition ready to lead Estonia

By Joel Alas

TALLINN - Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip made history on April 4 when he became the first leader to survive an election as Parliament officially voted him back into office. A coalition agreement saw Ansip’s Reform Party join with IRL and the Social Democrats, forming an economically-liberal, politically-conservative government balanced by a soft left minority.

The Estonian Greens, who fell out of coalition talks, predicted an early end for the government because of Reform’s dominating style.
Reform managed to bag most of the key cabinet positions, including the foreign minister’s post, which had been contested by IRL leader Mart Laar. Instead Laar, a former prime minister, has decided to lead his party from outside the cabinet, opting for no ministerial position rather than a lowly one.

Another former prime minister, IRL’s Juhan Parts, will return to a senior position, taking the post of minister of economic affairs and communications, which was vacated by Center Party leader Edgar Savisaar.
Former Tartu University rector Jaak Aaviksoo will become the new minister of defense, while former Tartu mayor and choir leader Laine Janes will be the new culture minister.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Justice Minister Rein Lang retained their positions, while former deputy parliamentary speaker Ene Ergma shifted up to become speaker of the house.

The new Government took the oath of office before the Riigikogu

Stenbock House — The Government of the Republic, led by Andrus Ansip, took an oath in the Riigikogu today. As the new Government took office, the President released the resigning Government by his decision.
The Government of the coalition of the Reform Party (RP), Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (PPRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) has the following members :

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip (RP)
Minister of Education and Research Tõnis Lukas (PPRP),
Minister of Justice Rein Lang (RP),
Minister of Defence Jaak Aaviksoo (PPRP),
Minister of the Environment Jaanus Tamkivi (RP),
Minister of Culture Laine Jänes (RP),
Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Juhan Parts (PPRP),
Minister of Agriculture Helir-Valdor Seeder (PPRP),
Minister of Finance Ivari Padar (SDP),
Minister of Regional Affairs Vallo Reimaa (PPRP),
Minister of Internal Affairs Jüri Pihl (SDP),
Minister of Social Affairs Maret Maripuu (RP),
Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet (RP),
Minister of Population Affairs Urve Palo (SDP)

Kateriin Leini
Press Officer to the Government
Tel.: +372 693 5719

Government Communication Office
www.valitsus.ee/brf

Eastern Europe getting pricey for big business

By William J. Kole

When the communists were ousted across Eastern Europe, the capitalists moved in. For foreign companies from McDonald's to Microsoft, it was an exciting new frontier — a cheap place to make things, with 70 million potential consumers to buy them.

Now, 18 years after the East embraced economic freedom, come the first tentative signs that an unprecedented boom may be on the verge of going bust.

Although big business is still expanding briskly across the region, wages, real estate and taxes are rising fast. Put simply, for companies looking to outsource manufacturing or services, the newest corner of the European Union just isn't the bargain it used to be.

Experts say the shift is subtle — in some places barely perceptible — but warn that the rapidly prospering nations of Central and Eastern Europe soon could become victims of their own success by pricing themselves out of the market.

"It has happened before — Mexico, Singapore, Thailand — and will continue to happen as long as there are 'lower cost' places with the human and political potential to be developed," said Charlie Barnhart, a senior consultant for Alameda, Calif.-based Technology Forecasters.

"Sustained softening"

Barnhart thinks there could be a noticeable "sustained softening" of foreign outsourcing to the East in as early as two or three years.

New centre-right government in Estonia

* Estonia has a new government in place led by Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, but the centre-right coalition sworn in on 5 April 2007 is already facing harsh criticism from its neighbour Russia.

The Riigikogu, the Estonian parliament, gave a green light to Prime Minister Ansip's new government. President Toomas Hendrik Ilves asked Andrus Ansip, leader of the Reform Party that won most of the votes, to be the next prime minister.

The new three-party government formed includes Ansip's Reform Party (R), the right-wing nationalist Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (PPRP) and the Social Democratic Party (SD), which together make up 62 of 101 seats in the Estonian assembly.

The new government was formed following the 4 March 2007 general elections and is expected to continue the pro-European and business-friendly policies conducted by the outgoing government. The new coalition promised to give a boost to the country's birth rate granting financial incentives for parents. The Baltic state's 1.3-million population has been declining during recent years.

New Estonian government sworn in

* Estonia’s new coalition government, headed by Reform Party Chairman Andrus Ansip, took its oath of office in Parliament on April 5 officially assuming governance of the country.

Prime Minister Ansip read out the oath, promising to remain loyal to Estonia's constitutional order. He and the ministers of the new government then signed the document.

The government is made up of a coalition agreed last week between Reform, the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL), and the Social Democratic Party.

In addition to the prime minister, Reform is represented in the new government by Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, Justice Minister Rein Lang, Culture Minister Laine Janes, Social Affairs Minister Maret Maripuu and Environment Minister Jaanus Tamkivi.

The ministers of the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL) in the new government are Helir-Valdor Seeder (agriculture), Tonis Lukas (education and science), Juhan Parts (economic affairs and communications), Jaak Aaviksoo (defense) and Vallo Reimaa (public administration).

Finance Minister Ivar Padar, Interior Minister Juri Pihl and Population Minister Urve Palo represent the Social Democratic Party in the ruling coalition.

At a meeting with President Ilves later in the day Ansip pledged that the new government would work hard and all the ministers would succeed both separately and together in the government.

The prime minister also promised that the government would not reject any good idea of the opposition just because it had been presented by the opposition.

The new government will have its first session next Thursday.

In cooperation with BNS

No measures against Estonia over monument

MOSCOW -- Russia is not going to take any economic measures against Estonia over the situation regarding the monument to the Liberator Soldier in Tallinn, Andrei Denisov, the Russian first deputy foreign minister, said on Tuesday. “No measures against Estonia are considered,” he said.

Denisov said the statement by First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ivanov on this subject on Tuesday “was an emotional statement.”

Ivanov said at the meeting with Russian veterans that the actions of the Estonian authorities regarding the monument to the Liberator Solder in Tallinn “cannot but affect Russian-Estonian relations.” “The construction of (of a port) in Ust-Luga of the Leningrad region should be completed prompter so as not to augment the budget of Estonia in the ports of which 85 percent of the cargoes are Russian,” the first deputy premier said.

“Civil society should manifest its stand, too,” Ivanov said. “Many products manufactured in Estonia, including sour milk products, are sold in north west Russia. People can keep from buying them and thus express their attitude to the policy of the Estonian authorities,” he said.

“I don’t call for a boycott,” Ivanov said. “This is not a matter of our state sanctions. This is a civil stand. Don’t buy Estonian. Don’t vacation in Estonia. Vacation in our Kaliningrad,” the first deputy premier said.

airBaltic to launch direct flights Riga - Saaremaa

* On May 3 of this year,  the Latvian airline airBaltic intends to launch direct flights from Riga to the Estonian town of Kuressaare, thus offering new opportunities for people who wish to visit Estonia’s islands or enjoy the spas of Saaremaa Island. - The flight to Saaremaa represents another trend in tourism – spa and health tourism, which can be merged with active recreation on the islands of the Baltic Sea, says Bertolt Flick, president of airBaltic.

New Estonian Parliament takes a seat

* The 11th Estonian Parliament opened by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves this afternoon, April 2.

Members took their oaths of office, pledging loyalty to the Estonian state and its constitutional order.

Among those who weren´t present were Edgar Savisaar, who gave up his seat to become mayor of Tallinn, and European Parliament members Katrin Saks, Andres Tarand and Siiri Oviir, who decided to remain in Brussels.

The Reform Party was today expected to sign a coalition agreement with IRL and the Social Democrats. The combined parties would take power in Parliament, occupying 66 of the 101 seats.

Estonian cuisine via grandma

» Esto Café, 958 Broadview Ave. (north of Danforth Ave.), 416-466-8906. Toronto's only Estonian restaurant is in the basement of Estonian House, the cultural centre for the Estonian community. The traditional menu includes frikadellisupp (meatball soup) and kapsarull (cabbage rolls). Best to visit during the week, as it is often booked for private functions on weekends.

» Hillside Café & Bakery, 594 Mount Pleasant Rd. (south of Eglinton Ave. E.), 416-544-1222. This Leaside sandwich shop bakes Estonian treats, including sweet-and-sour rye bread, kringel (sweet brioche), pirukad (savoury turnovers) and herring.

» Milbree-Viking, 133 Laird Dr. (south of Eglinton Ave. E.), 416-425-7200, milbreeviking. com. Since 1991, this Finnish deli has been Toronto's go-to place for Scandinavian foods. Try anything from their smoker or baker's ovens (especially sour rye bread, a yeast-free, 100 per cent rye bread). They also sell rosolli (potato-beet salad), Finland's rosolje.

TO LEARN

» Estonian Tastes and Traditions (Hippocrene, 2005) by Karin Annus Kärner is one of the few Estonian cookbooks in English. It has traditional and modern interpretations of classic dishes.

» From the Estonian Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, eestitoit.ee is a comprehensive site on Estonian cuisine with recipes under "Traditional Menu."

Eric Vellend

Estonian quintet

Basic pickled herring is available at most supermarkets. It's always refrigerated, either with the jars of Straub's pickles or in a special case by the seafood department. Gourmet stores (my dad recommends Bruno's Fine Foods on Yonge St.) usually have better brands such as Abba (Sweden) and Viking (Finland). On Roncesvalles Ave., you can buy the stuff straight from the barrel at some delis – not for the faint of heart.

Family recipes are treasured heirlooms. Writer hopes to encourage others to preserve delicious parts of their history

Eric Vellend

Special to the Star

Fried smelts, pickled herring and jellied veal are not foods the average kid craves. But at my grandmother's dinner table, they were savoured like hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries. And while she didn't influence my decision to become a chef, her traditional Estonian cooking will always hold a special place in my belly.

Grandma taught me a few culinary tricks over the years, and after she passed away, I inherited her ancient recipe books. Armed with a chef's palate and an Estonian-English dictionary, I've been busy decoding my grandmother's recipes and discovering the world of Estonian cuisine.