BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Estonia deports Uzbek who swam from Russia

ALMATY/PRAGUE - Estonia has deported an Uzbek asylum seeker who swam across a river from Russia to reach the Baltic country, RFE/RL's Uzbek and Kazakh services report.

Estonian police said Rakhim Sobirov was deported to Russia over the weekend because he entered Estonian territory from Russia illegally by swimming across the 300-meter-wide Narva River that marks the border between the two countries.

Marit Liik, a spokeswoman for Ida-Virumaa county police and border control service, said Sobirov did not have any identification documents with him, and for that reason he was returned to Russia, the country from which he illegally entered Estonia. She did not specify when.

Sobirov, 30, was among a group of Uzbek asylum seekers wanted by Tashkent on religious-extremism charges who were arrested in Kazakhstan last year. He traveled to Russia after his release from detention.

Sobirov's wife, Kazakh national Moldir Moldakhanova, told RFE/RL on September 19 that he left all his identity documents at home, fearing that he might be extradited to Uzbekistan at the request of the Uzbek authorities if he had Uzbek identity papers with him.

Tallinn airport marks 75th Anniversary

The capital's airport reached a milestone yesterday, when the institution turns 75.

Ülemiste airport officially opened its doors on September 20, 1936, though by then it had been already receiving air traffic for a number of years.

The construction at the site, meant to replace the former airfield in Lasnamäe, started in 1932. The first stage of the project comprised three runways arranged in a triangular shape, a hangar and a navigation system.

By 1937, the Ülemiste airport serviced over 13,000 passengers annually and had flight connections with Helsinki, Riga, Warsaw, Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).

The current passenger terminal dates from 1970. A new wing was constructed in 2008, adding 13,000 square meters of floor space.

Named after the late President Lennart Meri in March 2009, the airport serviced 1,384,831 passengers and handled 11,960 tons of cargo in 2010.

Erkki Sivonen

 

Similarity between Ansip and Savisaar is simply striking

Former adviser to the Tallinn City Council, Jaakko Väli, says that it is surprising how similar are the two arch-enemies prime minister Andrus Ansip and mayor of Tallinn and Centre Party leader Edgar Savisaar.

“Have you noticed that neither of them responds well to criticism, neither tolerates any deviation from the official party line and both are excellent in putting into office political broilers instead of promoting professionals who are capable of independent thinking”.

Speaking of the challenges facing the current government, Väli says that he hopes that finance minister Ligi is able to draw up a conservative budget and that IRL, the party of education minister Jaak Aaviksoo, allows him to complete the education reform.

“This seems to be the special feature of Estonian politics that if you are doing a good job or are capable of thinking independently, then it is your own people who tend to stab you in the back,” concludes Väli. 

Toomas Hõbemägi

Crisis, wages get stuck in a conundrum

The postcrisis European Union offers insight into a contentious economic question: How fast do wages fall in the face of high unemployment? Millions of Europeans who lost their jobs in countries hard-hit by the crisis won't see their prospects improve until companies believe labor is cheap enough to start hiring again.

The need for lower wages is particularly acute in the euro-zone periphery and in countries such as Latvia that peg their currencies to the euro. Without the ability or desire to devalue their currencies, nominal wages in those countries need to fall significantly relative to Germany and the other countries of the euro-zone core.

So how's the adjustment going? Not that well, according to new data on wage costs in the second quarter of the year. For example, Spain, with the EU's highest unemployment rate at over 21%, saw private-sector wages rise 2.5% compared with a year ago. That's less than the 3.5% rise across the euro-zone as a whole, but you'd want the difference to be much bigger to help Spain's economy create jobs through exports.

Without currency devaluation, high unemployment isn't just a painful side effect of the crisis; it's also a tool that policy makers hope will lower wage costs and boost competitiveness. The problem is that wages don't seem to be responding much to Spain's terrible labor market conditions. Spanish wages are "downwardly rigid," in the parlance of economists: They rise quickly but fall slowly. The EU's response to this problem is to make labor markets more "flexible." That means more latitude for firms to hire and fire workers based on market conditions; it means giving firms more power to link wages to productivity and profitability; and it probably means less influence for unions in wage bargaining.

But there's a problem with this. Look at what's happening in the Baltic countries. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania endured economic collapses during the crisis. The three of them also have the most "flexible" labor markets in Europe: low union presence, few protections for workers from being fired (if any, this is, just find out what is the use of the Inspektsiooni Töövaidluskomisjon; for those who do not know the answer, no use whatsoever, no matter how right the employee is, the employer is the one protected ), and so forth. There has been a significant drop in wages in the region during the crisis. But wages are now rising again, even though unemployment remains very high. For example, Latvian private-sector wages rose 4.2% in the quarter, despite an unemployment rate over 16%.

Estonia and France signing a military cooperation agreement

The Estonian ministry of defence announced the meeting in Paris between minister Mart Laar and his French counterpart minister Gerard Longuet, with the aim to reach an intergovernmental agreement on military cooperation.

According to the sources, France and Estonia will discuss numerous issues, including anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast, the air defense of the Baltic states and cyber security, on which Laar will deliver a separate speech during roundtable discussions in Paris.

The main items in the cooperation agreement will be the exchange of information on defense planning, the delivery of weapons and military training.

Tallinn medical centre receives EUR 43.5 m loan from the European Investment Bank

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide EUR 43.5 m for extending and renovating the North Estonia Medical Centre, a key project which will improve access to cardiac, oncology and other advanced forms of treatment in the country.

Under an agreement signed today in Luxembourg, the EIB will help finance renovation of a specialist medical unit. During the renovation, new premises for clinical purposes will be built for the laboratory and blood bank, day surgery unit, central outpatient clinic and cardiology clinic including invasive cardiology, intensive care and functional diagnostics units and inpatients wards. The North Estonia Medical Centre has a staff of 3,600 and is in some specialities the nation’s sole care provider.

When work is completed in 2014, the hospital will be offer a wider range of services and also improve efficiency and cost effectiveness. Total project cost is estimated to approximately EUR 170 m and additional financing will come from European Regional Development Funds, the Nordic Investment Bank and the state-supported hospital foundation’s own resources.

“We are delighted to support this important project in one of the EU’s most dynamic nations, which will further enhance the well-being and attractiveness of Estonia,” said Matthias Kollatz-Ahnen, EIB Vice President responsible for Estonia, at the signing ceremony.

Exports booming

Malta registered the highest increase in exports among the 27 member states in the first half of this year, according to data issued by Eurostat in Brussels yesterday.

Confirming Malta’s above-average economic growth during this year’s first semester, Eurostat said Malta’s exports increased by 54 per cent between January and June compared to the same period last year.

Malta exported €500 million worth of goods more than in the first six months of 2010, reaching a total export value of €1.4 billion by the end of June.

The EU’s statistics office data also shows imports into Malta rose by 34 per cent in the same period, for a total value of €1.9 billion.

Eurostat said last week Malta, the smallest economy in the eurozone, managed to register the highest GDP growth in the area between April and June.

“These trade statistics support Malta’s exceptional GDP growth performance during the second quarter as exports are one of the pillars of Malta’s economy,” an EU official said.

Apart from Malta, only Estonia – the latest member of the eurozone – managed to perform so well in terms of exports, posting an increase of 53 per cent.

Don't ever buy tickets on AirBaltic anymore

Well I guess that what I was thinking softly for 18 months is now being said loudly. And so, my very big thanks go to the Estonia's Consumer Protection Board.

Estonia's Consumer Protection Board is warning travelers not to buy tickets on Latvian national carrier AirBaltic after unexplained cancellations caused disruptions for dozens of passengers at Tallinn Airport earlier this week.

A board spokesman told Õhtuleht on September 14 that it had so far received no formal complaints about the cancellations, which occurred over on the two previous days, but that several consumers had phoned to ask whether it was still possible to buy tickets on the airline. 

"Purchasing tickets on AirBaltic is very risky right now because the problems with the company are very acute and widespread. The Consumer Protection Board cannot prohibit the purchase of AirBaltic tickets, but we recommend against doing so given the recent flight cancellations," a board representative said. 

Erik Sakkov, a member of the board of Tallinn Airport, said that as of September 14 he had still received no explanation for the cancellations, which affected 14 flights connecting Riga to Tallinn, Vilnius, Stockholm, Brussels and Berlin. He said, however, that all scheduled flights were once again operating.

President, CEO and co-owner of the troubled airline, Bertolt Flick, declined to comment on rumors that the cancellations were the result of low passengers numbers or financial difficulty, Latvian media reports. 

Is Estonia really the least religious country in the world ?

Estonians, and especially the young, have turned their backs on organised religion, but belief in neo-paganism is thriving.

Estonia and the Czech Republic are the two nations that often claim to be the least religious in Europe. And they seem to be proud of their unbelief. According to the census of 2000, 29% of the total population considered themselves as adherents of some religion. Almost 14% of them were Lutherans (in the 1930s the percentage of Lutherans was over 80), and about 13% Orthodox Christians divided between two churches: one under the canonical jurisdiction of ecumenical patriarchate and the other under the jurisdiction of Moscow patriarchate.

A Eurobarometer poll in 2005 found that only 16% of the Estonian population believed in God. With this number, Estonia hit the bottom of the list. However, at the same time more than half the population (54%) believed in some sort of spirit or life force. Thus it could be claimed that 70% of the Estonian population are believers, at least in some sense of the word. Professor Grace Davie's description of the British religiosity as"believing without belonging" seems to fit to the Estonian context as well.

The churches are on Sundays mostly empty and the ignorance of religion is widespread. According to the available statistics and surveys, the membership of religious associations in Estonia remains under one fifth of the total population.

Non-Estonians (mainly immigrants of Russian stock) are considerably more religious, and this becomes even more evident among the younger generations. Surveys show that young Estonians in general have become estranged from every form of religion that could be considered as traditional or as religion at all.

In Tallinn and Riga prices of flats in August grew more significantly than in Vilnius

Flats prices went up by 0.1% in Vilnius in August 2011, Ober-Haus Real Estate Advisors said on Thursday. Over a year, Vilnius flat prices increased by 2.6%. Flat prices in the capital cities of other Baltic States grew more significantly.

In August, the prices rose by 3.3% and 0.2% in Tallinn and Riga respectively. The annual increase in Tallinn prices was 14.9%. Riga saw a 3.9-percent rise in flat prices over a year, writes LETA/ELTA.

Warsaw flat prices fell by 0.3% last month. The August fall was 0.8% year-on-year.

Vilnius continues to lead the Baltics by the price per a square metre. In August, a square metre in a Vilnius flat cost EUR 1,209 on the average. Tallinn offered a square metre for EUR 1,052, while Riga sold it for EUR 939. The price of a square metre in a Warsaw flat is estimated to average EUR 1,992.

Since the 2007 peak in flat prices, the prices have mostly slumped in Riga (59.6%). The decline is 38.4% in Tallinn, while Vilnius has seen a decrease of 39%. The flat prices in Warsaw have dropped by 10.3%.

Danuta Pavilenene

Estonian crime spree stopped in Benidorm

A  SPATE of thefts from properties in the Benidorm area was finally brought to an end last week, when police arrested three Estonian men, two of whom were brothers, believed to be responsible for up to 80 break ins the past four months.

The method of entry by the burglars was particularly clever, involving the cracking of the locks with use of specialist tools, according to the police, and required a special skill which made the trade mark technique easier to attribute to the gang.

The criminal spree finally came to an end when National Police in Benidorm apprehended gang as they were about to break in to a bar in the town during the early hours.

The modus operandi of the group was always the same: after keeping a check on the intended target to ascertain the times of movements of its occupants, the three would make their move when the property was empty, stealing amongst other things, money, jewellery, computers, phones and even perfumes. In fact it appears they stole virtually any item which they believed might have a resale value.

As well as residential premises, the gang targeted, bars, an office of the Ayuntamiento in a recreational park, a warehouse , and even a lawyer’s office. As with their target items, the premises burgled were from across the board. The only consistent theme was the criminal’s method of operation, through planned surveillance and lock breaking.

The three arrested already had police records, though it is not clear from sources whether these relate to activities inSpain, or in their native Estonia. They were charged with theft, forgery (of official documents), and had even been found to have stolen four cars.

 

Text editor H/S for a couple of days ...

Waiting for things to return to normal so that I could carry on.

Take care and hopefully, I should be back soon.

Shaan in Nice

Estonian output soares fastest in Europe with 22.9%

INDUSTRIAL production shrank faster in Ireland than any other European country over the past year, the European Union's statistics office in Luxembourg said yesterday.

Industrial production contracted 4.9pc in Ireland in the past 12 months, compared to 4.4pc in Portugal and 2.9pc in Greece.

Production soared elsewhere, rising 22.9pc in Estonia, 10.4pc in Germany and 9.2pc in Latvia.

The new figures also showed that industrial production rebounded in July, led by surging German output after the biggest drop in more than a year the previous month.

Production in the 17-nation eurozone rose 1pc from June when it fell 0.8pc. That was the biggest gain since November 2010, but still lower than economists' forecasts of 1.5pc.

European manufacturers have helped bolster the region's expansion as a worsening debt crisis forced governments to cut spending, eroding consumer confidence.

Luxury cars

Demand for luxury cars such as BMWs and Audis continued to rise as the Chinese economy surged.

Estonian teachers have lowest, yet fastest-growing salaries

An OECD report released today, ranks teacher salaries in Estonia among the lowest of member states.

Comparing salaries to nations' GDP-per-person, the analysis concluded that, out of 34 countries surveyed, the average salary of Estonian teachers with at least 15 years of experience was only higher than three other countries - Hungary, Slovakia and Indonesia. Teachers in those countries get paid about 11,000 euros per year, according to the report.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, teachers in Luxembourg were paid 75,000 euros per year, and 45,000 euros in Germany, Ireland and Holland.

Nevertheless, the OECD found that teacher salaries have grown more in Estonia than in any other of the 34 countries since 2000.

In response to the report, the Ministry of Education said it plans to work with local governments to find funding that can be cut in order to raise the salaries of qualified education personnel.

Ott Tammik

Flight cancellations by airBaltic may be seen as sabotage : Transport Ministry

The cancellation of several flights by the board of the national airline airBaltic without informing about the reasons for this may be seen as sabotage, because the actions of airBaltic board are damaging to the airline's reputation and may reduce the value of the airline, said LETA Transport Ministry's representative Aivis Freidenfelds.

The Transport Ministry urges airBaltic board to immediately explain the reason for the flight cancellations.

The state, as a majority shareholder in airBaltic, emphasizes that the board of airBaltic must ensure daily operations of the airline. The board of the airline has not provided any information as to why the flights to Brussels, Berlin, Vilnius and Tallinn were cancelled – neither to its customers nor to the airline's shareholders, said Freidenfelds.

As reported, airBaltic without explanation cancelled four flights out of Riga yesterday, and seven flights today.

"Nozare.lv" received this information from the airport. The airline has provided no specific explanation for this move, an airport spokesman said, only informing about the cancellations.

Destinations affected were Brussels, Berlin, Vilnius and Tallinn.

Hepatitis-A outbreak puts Viljandi officials on alert

As of September 12, there are 41 cases of viral hepatitis in Estonia. Of those, 29 have been confirmed in Viljandi County.

Hepatitis A is an infection caused by a virus affecting the liver, causing inflammation of the organ and often jaundice (yellowing of skin). It can be caused and spread by poor hygiene, contaminated food and contact with an infected person.

The first case was confirmed in Viljandi this past February, and it was linked to travel abroad. However, since August 25, the number of cases has spiked dramatically: 28 cases reported across the county, 25 of these in the town of Viljandi.

Viljandi Mayor Lembit Kruuse called for the formation of a disease prevention task force, with a particular focus on preventing the spread of the disease.

Last week alone, in numerical terms, the number of those infected in Viljandi increased by 30 percent. Unfortunately, officials said, the disease has an incubation period of 50 days, meaning it will take some time to assess the impact.

Euro Night 2011 : 23/09/2011 - Washington D.C.

Dear Friends of La Maison Française, On Friday, September 23 from 6:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m., La Maison Française will host Euro Night – an opportunity to discover the captivating world of European traditions! This annual event is a collaboration between more than 20 European Union embassies in Washington, D.C. Throughout the evening, each country will showcase its respective culture, traditions and culinary specialties. This year’s musical highlights will include the Irish duo Sean McComiskey & Shannon Dunne from The Kitchen Quartet, the Polish Highlanders Folk Group, dance mixes by DJ DIGITAL 21 from Spain and more! Take a cultural tour around Europe, feasting on national dishes and drinks from the open bars (cash bar from 9:30 p.m. until close) – a great way to discover Europe right here in DC! WHAT: Euro Night 2011 - program below WHEN: Friday, September 23 from 6:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. WHERE: La Maison Française, Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Rd, NW Parking available on Reservoir Road and across the street from the Embassy at Georgetown University Hospital’s pay lot. ADMISSION: General: $35; Benefactor: $50 Open bar from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Cash bar from 9:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. TICKETS / MORE INFO: www.EuroNightDC.org                      Proceeds from this event will help support the numerous and varied cultural activities at the participating European embassies. E.U. Member nations: Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Romania, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and United Kingdom. We look forward to welcoming you to La Maison Française for this fourth annual Euro Night celebration! Please take the time to scroll down to the bottom and discover our complete 11/12 cultural season at the Embassy of France. Warm regards, Roland Celette Cultural Attaché | Director of La Maison Française www.HouseofFranceDC.org ============= P R O G R A M ============= From 6:30pm to 9:30pm, visit each countries' table to sample food, beverages, and recieve information. Several live concerts will complete the ambiance and deliver vibrant rythms from Europe! Participating artist include Irish duo Sean McComiskey, button accordion & Shannon Dunne, concertina/sean nos dance from the The Kitchen Quartet and the Polish Highlanders. From 9:30pm to 11:30pm, we will crank up the volume and let our guests take over the dance floor with Spanish DJ DIGITAL 21. Drinks will be available via the cash-only bar.

Karmen Pedaru is Milan’s top model

Repost for Karmen

It was a full-on 2005 model redux on Milan's runways. For Roberto Cavalli's 40th Anniversary show, the designer hired Natalia Vodianova and Laetitia Casta to open and close, respectively. Meanwhile, Brazilian heavyweight Raquel Zimmermann made an exclusive appearance opening for Gucci; runway diva Natasha Poly had Dolce & Gabbana's first look; and Czech beauty Karolina Kurkova opened for Gianfranco Ferré. Per usual, Freja Beha had an exceptional showing, opening for Bottega Veneta, Pucci, and Marni.

But as tough as that competition may be, it's Estonian rising star Karmen Pedaru who trumps the veterans to win Milan's coveted crown. The French Vogue darling opened for D&G, closed for Gucci, Pucci, and Dsquared2, and did the honors of both opening and closing at Salvatore Ferragamo. See all of Milan Fashion Week's top openers and closers in the slideshow ahead.

Carmen Kass : Elle - Spain - September 2011

by Riccardo Tinelli

Estonia and France to renew defense cooperation vows

Defense Minister Mart Laar will fly to Paris on September 13 to sign an intergovernmental defense cooperation agreement with his French counterpart Gérard Longuet.

The new agreement will replace the current one, which has been in force since 1994. According to the Estonian Ministry of Defense, the reviewed document will cover the main aspects of bilateral cooperation in the field, including exchange of information concerning defense planning and armament procurement, as well as organizing military training and cyber defense.

Other topics to be discussed at the meeting will be the future of the NATO Baltic airspace patrolling mission, cyber defense, and cooperation between French and Estonian military personnel in the EU's naval anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia.

Laar will also deliver a lecture at a cyber defense themed roundtable organized by the Sciences Po Paris university and visit the French Defense Ministry's center of operations, where he will be briefed on the latest developments in Somalia and Libya. He will then meet with senator Denis Badré, chairman of the French-Baltic friendship group of the Senate.

Laar will return to Estonia in the evening of September 13.

Erkki Sivonen