BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Mart Ojavee (Estonia Kalev Chocolate) wins the fourth stage of the FBD Insurance Rás

* Après sa victoire mardi lors de la troisième étape de la course cycliste FDB Insurance Ras, le champion canadien a terminé deuxième lors de la quatrième étape mercredi en se faisant devancer d'une demi-roue par l'Estonien Mart Ojavee (Estonia Kalev Chocolate) à l'issue de 138 kilomètres entre Sligo et Dungloe, en Irlande.

À cause de travaux effectués sur la chaussée, les trois derniers kilomètres étaient différents de ce qui était annoncé dans les documents officiels de la course. En conséquence, le cycliste de Boucherville a dû puiser encore plus dans ses réserves pour arracher cette deuxième place.

«Ils (les organisateurs) ne nous ont pas avertis que les derniers kilomètres étaient plus sinueux que prévu, a-t-il dit. C'était le chaos pour préparer le sprint. Un trou s'est formé dans le «lead out» d'une des équipes et j'ai été coincé derrière des gars qui venaient de lever le pied après avoir terminé leur effort.

«J'ai donc dû les contourner et amorcer mon sprint à 200 m de l'arrivée au bas d'une bosse, a-t-il poursuivi. Même si j'étais déjà une quinzaine de mètres derrière les deux premiers, j'ai quand même pu en rattraper un.»

Relative of one soldier buried in Tõnismagi found in the Rostov area

* A relative of one of the soldiers originally buried at the Tonismagi war grave, former site of the Bronze Soldier monument, has allegedly been found in the Rostov Region of southern Russia. According to Interfax the man is Victor Bryantsev (67), whose father, Captain Alexey Bryantsev, was killed in the autumn of 1944 in Estonia and was reportedly buried at the site.

The man has declared his desire to rebury his father’s remains close to his home and readiness to come to Estonia for that purpose. Earlier the Russian press reported finding a sister and a more distant relative of Lt. Vasily Volkov and daughters of Capt. Ivan Syssoyev.

Ten-year ban on entry into Estonia for three Finnish citizens

* Former Estonian Interior Minister Kalle Laanet in February imposed a ten-year ban on entry into Estonia for three Finnish citizens suspected of connections with extremist right-wing movements, the daily Postimees reported on May 22.

By Laanet’s order Heikki Pihlajamaki, a former policemen, Pasi Suikki, who has studied history at Tartu University, and Harri Vertanen, who owns two apartments in Tallinn, have been put on the “black list” for entry into Estonia for ten years.

The men have denied any connection with Naziism and have appealed to the new interior minister to cancel the ban. A friend of the men told the press that they are just history enthusiasts and that their dressing in Nazi uniforms and celebrating Hitler’s birthday was part of a style party, and not connected to extremist politics.

An activist wearing a Soviet Army cape arrested in Tõnismägi

* Andrei Kalugin, an activist from Russia’s pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi, was taken for questioning by police on May 22 after he donned a Soviet Army cape and stood at the former site of Tallinn’s Bronze Soldier monument, in what Security Police said was part of a show for the Russian RTR TV company.

Security Police superintendent Irina Mikson told BNS that the young man was a Russian citizen who had arrived in Estonia specially to stage the action. Nashi repeatedly said in April that if the soldier monument was removed it would send people dressed in Soviet Army uniforms to stand as living monuments at the Tõnismagi location.

A spokesman for the Citizenship and Migration Board said that Kalugin’s tourist visa had been canceled and that he would be returned to Russia.

Miss Universe 2007 : Estonia in the top 20 !

AGE: 20 | HEIGHT: 5'11 | HAIR COLOR: BLONDE | EYE COLOR: GREEN

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most ?
I am interested in art, whatever comes out of human passion, effort and creativity. In particular, I am interested in painting from both the observer perspective and from the aspiring painter perspective as well. I am also very keen on interior design because it is the profession I am studying.

What is your career ambition ?
I believe consistent work comes from the dream. I will work to be a good professional in interior design, but I would like to become a genuinely good painter, even if that may not be realized and appreciated in current time. My dream is to leave my print in history.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
My childhood was spent in a mix of urban and countryside contexts. I was raised in between Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and my grandparents' country house close to the beautiful forests and rivers where I spent a lot of time during my childhood. I can definitely say that the best memories, which are filled with pure and sincere happiness, come from that time of my life.

What do you want the judges to know about you ?
I am a mixture of different nations. My ancestors came from Finland, Germany, Ukraine, Estonia, and Russia, therefore, I am very interested in different cultures and different languages and at 20 can already express myself in 6 languages. I'm also interested in philosophy, art, psychology, and literature.

Video

Tickets : Monday 28th May - Mexico

Cocaine worth $2 million seized by Estonian customs

TALLINN - Estonian customs agents have seized nearly 17 pounds of pure cocaine with an estimated street value of $2 million, and arrested six members of an international drug trafficking ring, a spokesman for the country's prosecutors said Tuesday.

Working in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and police from neighboring Latvia, Estonian investigators determined that the drug shipment was brought ashore from a foreign-registered vessel in Estonian territorial waters for distribution throughout the Baltic region, Helga Adamson said.

"The cocaine is of exceptionally high quality, and its street value has been estimated at 23.4 million kroon ($2 million). It is extremely likely that the cocaine originated in Latin America," she said.

Three Latvian nationals, two Lithuanians and one stateless person have been arrested, she said.

Bronze Soldier –Familiar Old Russian Approach

Pekka Erelt

Eesti Ekspress (17-05-2007)

The story of the Bronze Soldier is remarkably similar to the events that preceded and followed the December Rebellion of 1924.

Organized mayhem on the streets of Tallinn, demonstrations in front of the Estonian Embassy in Moscow, a shrill anti-Estonia propaganda war—it seems like something similar has already happened to us before. The Bronze Soldier affair forcibly evokes the beginning of the 1920s, when the young Estonian state had to endure the incessant coercion of its large eastern neighbor.
History does not repeat itself, but if often rhymes.

New tactic—a propaganda war

With the War of Independence, the people’s sympathy for the Bolsheviks rapidly disappeared—if, in October 1917 there were about 20,000 members of the Bolshevik Party in Estonia, then at the beginning of 1920, there were only 700. One blow after another struck this Russian fifth column in Estonia. In the spring after the conclusion of the Tartu Peace Treaty, the Security Police started operations and immediately eliminated several underground Communist organizations.

In circumstances that had quickly turned against Russia, the latter started to employ a new tactic against Estonia. Vehement anti-Estonian propaganda was set in action and hostages were taken. Namely, whenever Estonia caught an important Communist, the Cheka arrested some Estonians in return, who were then accused of spying or speculation. Thereafter, Estonia was forced to make an exchange with the Russians.

Russia slams the door on all things Estonian

By Erika Niedowski

MOSCOW - More than a half-dozen types of cheese disappeared from behind deli counters. Small bottles of chili powder, garlic seasoning and lemon pepper - indeed, every spice with the blue Santa Maria label - vanished from supermarket shelves. Old Tallinn liqueur, a sweet staple in a punchy cocktail called the hammer and sickle, suddenly was harder to come by.

The word had come down from on high: Estonian products are no longer welcome in Russia.

The row over the removal of a Soviet-era war monument and the remains of soldiers from a central square in the Estonian capital first prompted a diplomatic war of words, even looting and civil unrest. And then, Russia did what it increasingly tends to do in disputes with nations - including Georgia, Ukraine and Poland - that have fallen out of its favor: It started cleansing itself of things Estonian.

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov urged businesses and consumers to shun Estonian goods and sever all ties with enterprises - even cultural ones - across the border. Within days, some of the largest grocery chains in the Russian capital had yanked hundreds of products and stuck signs in their windows saying they wouldn't sell Estonian.

37 injured in carnival fire

* Chaos broke out at a fun fair in the regional Estonian town of Rakvere on May 18 when a fast-moving carousel-type ride caught fire. Thirty-seven people were injured in the blaze, which engulfed the Tivoli Tuur ride in a matter of minutes. Medical workers treated people for burns and smoke inhalation, among them a boy of eight years and a girl aged seventeen.
Most were taken to hospital, some in a serious condition, but most have since been released from care. The blaze took hold at about 11pm, and was well alight by the time three fire crews reached the fun fair. By the time the fire was extinguished at 12.16am, flames had destroyed five plastic gondolas and the ride’s electrical system.

Police are now investigating the blaze. Tivoli Tuur’s operator said he believed arson could be a cause.
In a belated reaction to the fire, the Rakvere City Council has canceled the company’s permit to operate a ride and its public gathering license.

Plans to hold a fireworks display on Sunday May 20 were also canceled.

In cooperation with BNS

Tallinn se découvre

La capitale d'Estonie propose son charme médiéval à seulement 3 heures de Paris. Un week-end de découverte vers nos nouveaux voisins européens ?

Véritable ville musée d'aspect médiéval, classée au patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco, Tallinn est l'une des cités européennes qui a le mieux conservé ses monuments architecturaux du 13ème siècle. Maisons colorées, petites rues sinueuses et splendides édifices datant du Moyen Age offrent un cadre exceptionnel et propulsent le voyageur dans le temps. Les amateurs de culture seront comblés cet été, grâce aux multiples festivals qui animeront la cité de Tallinn :

- Du 28 mai au 3 juin 2007 : 16ème édition du festival ‘Old Town Days'. Le centre historique bat au rythme de cette magnifique fête où s'organisent des concerts de musique et des programmes culturels haut en couleurs. (Renseignements : http://www.vanalinnapaevad.ee/eng_index.shtml ).

Russia resumes normal oil flows to Estonia

MOSCOW: Russian railways have unlocked all shipments of refined oil products towards ports in Estonia after two weeks of disruptions amid a political dispute, traders said on Thursday.

Up to 50,000 tonnes of light products and over 300,000 tonnes of fuel oil has been re-routed away from Estonia in May, trading sources in Russia, international trading firms and sources at Estonian terminals said. “It is all running again,” said a source with a major operator on the route.

“It should have happened as it was obvious since the beginning that at the moment Russia cannot re-route such large volumes away from Estonia. There is simply no capacity in other ports,” said a source with a foreign major.

Source : Reuters

EU questions Russian human rights record

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV

* Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, rubs his eye as German Chancellor Angela Merkel answers a question during the news conference upon the Russia-EU Summit in Volzhsky Utyos near the Volga River city of Samara, Friday, May 18, 2007. German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced concern Friday that Russian authorities were preventing opposition activists from traveling to the site of a planned demonstration in the Volga River city of Samara. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko).

European Union leaders criticized Russia's human rights record — and were faulted in return — at the end of a summit Friday that produced no formal agreements but helped illustrate the widening political chasm between Moscow and the West.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel complained that opposition activists were being prevented from traveling to a planned protest in the Volga River city of Samara, near the site of the EU-Russia summit.

"I'm concerned about some people having problems in traveling here," Merkel told reporters. "I hope they will be given an opportunity to express their opinion."

Among the activists kept from boarding flights was former chess champion Garry Kasparov, now a leading political foe of President Vladimir Putin.

Officials confiscated activists' passports and tickets at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, and held them for about five hours. Activists in Samara also said they were harassed.

Identification of exhumed soldiers continues in Estonia

TALLINN - A forensic bureau in Estonia has carried out a preliminary identification of the soldiers exhumed from under the Soviet-era war memorial in central Tallinn, the Estonian Foreign Ministry said Friday.

Estonian authorities dismantled the World War II memorial in central Tallinn on April 27 and moved it to a military cemetery on the outskirts of the city, where they promised to rebury the Soviet soldiers.

The remains belong to 11 men and a woman, who were buried together. DNA analysis has been sent to the Russian embassy in Estonia, the source said.

Estonia wants to have the exhumed soldiers identified precisely, which will require DNA samples from two relatives of each of the 12 soldiers. Estonia said it would cover the expenses for a comparative DNA analysis.

The removal of the Bronze Soldier sparked protests in Tallinn, leaving one dead and dozens injured, and has aggravated relations between the two countries.

Les sans-patrie d'Estonie

Seize ans après l'indépendance, les russophones, qui représentent un tiers de la population, se sentent toujours discriminés. La loi sur la citoyenneté, imposant des tests de langue, a rendu 125 000 d'entre eux apatrides.

Par Anne-Françoise HIVERT

Ils étaient des milliers au cimetière militaire de Tallinn, le 9 mai. Pour rien au monde, Maia Meos n'aurait manqué le rendez-vous. Pourtant, sa visite au soldat de bronze lui a laissé un goût amer. Un sentiment de déclassement. Jusqu'au 27 avril, le monument honorant les soldats soviétiques victorieux du nazisme trônait au coeur de Tallinn, sur le square où il avait été érigé en 1947, à quelques pas seulement du siège du parti gouvernemental de la Réforme. Ce n'est plus le cas. Désormais, la statue se trouve en dehors de la capitale estonienne, au bout d'un long chemin poussiéreux, bordé de jardins abandonnés et de bâtiments désaffectés. Pour Maia Meos, «ce transfert est très symbolique». Un peu, dit-elle, «comme si en déplaçant la statue dans une zone en friche, loin du centre-ville, on voulait oublier qu'on existe».

Cette mère de famille, secrétaire d'une association de jeunes, est née en Estonie. Mais elle appartient à la minorité russophone, qui compte 400 000 personnes, soit un tiers de la population de la petite république balte entrée en mai 2004 dans l'Union européenne. Au revers de sa chemise, un badge dit : «Je ne suis pas une touriste, je vis ici !» Le problème, poursuit Maia, c'est que les Russes, arrivés après la Seconde Guerre mondiale pour travailler dans les complexes militaro-industriels construits par Moscou, sont toujours considérés comme «des occupants». Même chose pour leurs enfants nés en Estonie. «Quand on proteste, on nous répond qu'on n'a qu'à faire nos valises et rentrer en Russie.»

Passeports gris

Les émeutes, qui ont accompagné le déplacement du soldat de bronze fin avril, ont jeté un violent coup de projecteur sur les frustrations de cette minorité. Beaucoup dénoncent les discriminations dont ils sont victimes. «Nous sommes considérés comme des citoyens de seconde classe», affirme Maia Meos. La législation sur la citoyenneté en est une des causes. Au lendemain de l'indépendance, en 1991, Tallinn a décidé de limiter l'octroi automatique de la nationalité estonienne aux personnes qui résidaient dans le pays avant son annexion par l'Union soviétique, ainsi qu'à leurs descendants. Ceux qui étaient arrivés après 1940, comme leurs enfants nés en Estonie ou ailleurs, ont dû se contenter d'un permis de séjour de trois ans. Avec l'obligation de passer ensuite un test de langue et un examen de connaissances sur l'histoire et la Constitution du pays, s'ils souhaitaient la citoyenneté estonienne.

Thursday, 24 May, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will arrive in Estonia.

Their Majesties are scheduled to meet with the President of the Republic Toomas Hendrik Ilves. President Ilves and Mrs. Evelin Ilves will host an official luncheon in honour of Their Majesties at the Kadriorg Art Museum.

Thursday afternoon The Emperor and Empress will attend the open-air concert "Joy of Song" at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. Later in the evenin the honourable guests will visit the Tallinn Town Hall to meet with promoters of Estonian-Japanese ties.

People have the opportunity of meeting The Emperor and Empress of Japan during their stay in Tallinn at the Song Festival Grounds (people are expected to gather there from 1 pm until 3 pm) and at Town Hall Square at 6.30 pm.

The Emperor and Empress will leave Estonia on Friday, 25 May.

Photographers, TV cameramen and journalists should apply for accreditation online : http://form.vm.ee/eng/. Accreditation deadline is Friday, 18 May at noon.

Journalists are invited to a backgrounder on the visit and press activities at the Press Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, 17 May at 2 pm. Representatives of the Office of the President of Estonia, the Japanese Embassy, Personal Protection Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be present. Registration for the backgrounder is also available on the following web-site: http://form.vm.ee/eng/. Please, do not take recorders, cameras and microphones to the backgrounder.

Accreditation and pool cards can be claimed on Wednesday, 23 May from 10 am until 2 pm at the Lauteri 2 entrance of Foreign Ministry.

Additional information is available from the MFA Press Centre :

E-mail : centre@mfa.ee
Telephone : +372 637 7630.

Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
PRESS SPOKESMAN'S OFFICE

pressitalitus@mfa.ee

www.vm.ee

Russia bans heavy vehicles from border bridge with Estonia

TALLINN (AFP) - Russia has barred heavy goods vehicles from crossing into European Union member Estonia via a border bridge, officials in the Baltic state said Wednesday.

   "Russian border guards have stopped vehicles heavier than 13 tonnes from crossing the Narva bridge," Estonian border guard spokeswoman Riin Kiik told AFP.

   "The ban took effect last night, and the first trucks have already been diverted," she said.

   Heavy vehicles wishing to enter Estonia from Russia must now make a detour of around 400 kilometers (240 miles), and use a land crossing in southern Estonia.

   The ban on heavy goods vehicles using the bridge is the latest move, which could have a negative impact on trade with Estonia, taken by the Russians since a row blew up between the neighbouring states over the removal by the Estonian authorities of a Soviet statue from the centre of Tallinn.

   While the Russian Roads Administration has said the bridge is in a bad state of repair and dangerous, the Estonians have said the closure is unnecessary and illegal, and equated it and other measures taken in recent weeks by Russia to "hidden sanctions" over the removal of the Bronze Soldier statue.

   "The bridge belongs to Estonia, and a recent study shows it can be used, although repairs will be needed in the future," Juhan Parts, Estonian Minister for Economic Affairs, said last week.

   "A unilateral decision like this one is just one example of how the Russians are applying hidden sanctions against Estonia," he added.

   The Estonian authorities said Tuesday they had not been officially notified of the restrictions to bridge traffic imposed by the Russians.

   The bridge remains open to all vehicles wishing to cross into Russia from Estonia, Kiik said.

   "Estonia is allowing all traffic to cross the bridge as the Estonian authorities see no reason to block traffic," said Kiik.

Russian agency suspends restrictions on bridge to Estonia

MOSCOW - Russia's Federal Road Agency /Rosavtodor/ offered Estonia to hold talks in the nearest future, to work out joint decisions on the border bridge across the river Narva.

On Wednesday night, Rosavtodor temporarily lifted restrictions on trucks with a mass exceeding 13.5 tonnes.

The restrictions were introduced because "the condition of the bridge did not conform to Russia’s road safety norms," a Rosavtodor official said.

The move did not apply to bus service.

Estonia imposed no traffic limitations. Its representatives who inspected the bridge several years ago said it was in satisfactory condition. Although quite recently, when a problem of building a new bridge across the Narva with EU money was raised, the Estonian experts expressed solidarity with Russia.

Earlier, spokesman for the Leningrad regional administration Valentin Sidorin denied that the decision to limit cargo traffic via the bridge was linked to the recent events in Estonia, whose authorities ordered to dismantle a monument to the Soviet Liberator Soldier in the center of Tallinn.

"This is a purely technical problem," Sidorin stressed.

Idea competitions for finding the 90th anniversary badge of the Republic of Estonia begins

Stenbock House – Beginning today, the State Chancellery is awaiting works for the idea competition in order to find a uniting badge for the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. The badge – logo or slogan – being looked for at the idea competition is intended to unite all publications, keepsakes and other materials related to the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.

The objective of the badge is to unite our state with a common visual thread of thought in celebrating the 90th anniversary, to integrate everyone to enjoy independent Estonia, to deepen the feeling of statehood and confirm: Estonia is one whole in time and space – a strong, exuberant, wise, innovative and vital country with its courageous people.

Decisions on badge sketches will be made by an expert committee set up by the State Secretary which comprises the representatives of the Association of Estonian Graphic Artists, Estonian Academy of Arts and Estonian Association of Designers.

Three prizes are awarded at the competition. The total amount of competition prizes is EEK 50 000. A contract will be concluded with the winner of the competition to use the badge on the materials relating to the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. The idea sketches for the badge are awaited by 15 June at the latest.

Keeping the memories of war alive

Maxim Krans

MOSCOW - When in Budapest, I always visit the Gellert Hill. The Danube River slowly flows below. It looks incredibly blue on a sunny day.

The radiant festive prospects of Pest are across the river spanned by the Erzsebet Bridge, which bears the name of the much-loved Queen Sisi.

Standing behind is the awesome Freedom monument - a woman with an olive branch in her hands. Quite recently, there was a bronze figure of the Soviet soldier at the bottom and it was called the Liberation monument to commemorate the 180,000 Soviet soldiers killed in action in Hungary, including the marines that had climbed the precipitous cliffs with alpine equipment and knocked the Nazis from the Gellert Hill in a free-for-all.

"Freedom" and "liberation" are similar words but have a different meaning. No doubt, as other Eastern bloc countries, Hungary received genuine freedom after the collapse of the totalitarian regime, when it managed to free itself from the Soviet Union's iron grip. But what's wrong with the liberation from Nazism? Why blame the Bronze Soldier that was thrown into the park of monuments - a sculpture dumping site - in the early 1990s ?

It was then that the campaign was launched against the monuments to Soviet soldiers, against their remains and names awarded to streets - not this spring with Tallinn's Tonismagi Square. It seemed to be aimed against the symbols of the hated era but in real fact it targeted the memory of the world's worst war.

A monument to Ostapenko and Steimiz - flag-of-truce bearers shot by Nazis - was also torn down in Budapest; the T-34 tank was removed from its pedestal and painted an offensive pink in Prague; an attempt to blow up the Victory monument was made in Riga. In Bulgaria, even the famous Alyosha came under threat but was eventually saved.

Россию и Эстонию назвали главными претендентами на вхождение в "клуб богатых стран"

Организация экономического сотрудничества и развития (ОЭСР), которую также называют "клубом богатых стран", может 16 мая предложить членство пяти странам, в том числе России и Эстонии. Об этом сообщает AFP со ссылкой на свои источники в дипломатических кругах.

Кроме России и Эстонии ОЭСР, возможно, захочет увидеть в своих рядах Чили, Израиль и Словению. Официально в ОЭСР не подтверждают и не опровергают данную информацию. По словам пресс-секретаря ОЭСР, членство будет предложено малому числу стран.

ОЭСР была основана в 1961 году. В организацию входят 30 стран с крупнейшими развитыми экономиками. Принятие в ее состав новых членов может означать первый шаг на пути расширения ОЭСР.