Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that the security environment has become unpredictable and security threats more diverse, although the condition of Estonia, as a member of the EU and NATO, is ensured in the changing security environment. “The biggest difference between the renewed concept and the previous one from 2004 is Estonia’s broadening approach to security. Since 2004, events have taken place in the world that have continued to broaden our views on security,” explained Paet. “Estonia’s security policy takes into account all of the factors that affect our national security, regardless of where or how they are created. The implementation of the security policy includes all of the fields essential to ensuring security. For example, we are constantly becoming more involved in energy and cyber security; the activity and participation of civil society is also becoming increasingly important to security policy, as are the coherence of the society, public health, environmental security, and psychological protection,” said Paet.

According to Foreign Minister Paet, in order to ensure security it is necessary to advance both domestic and international co-operation. “The nation must have the opportunity to use, when necessary, all the resources for preventing threats or reducing their effect. Advancing co-operation gives added value for creating and improving our capability,” he added. Paet stressed that determining Estonia’s defence expenses takes place on the basis of NATO methodology. “Our goal is to achieve a defence expenses budget of 2% of the GDP and maintain that,” said Paet.

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According to Paet, one of the main topics of the foreign ministers’ meeting in Tallinn will be the renewing of NATO’s Strategic Concept. “For Estonia it is important how the new Strategic Concept will reflect collective defence as the primary responsibility of NATO,” said the Estonian foreign minister. “Estonia is satisfied with the process of developing the new Strategic Concept, in which we have actively participated,” added Foreign Minister Paet.

Paet stressed that Estonia continues to support the decisions made at the NATO summits in Bucharest and Strasbourg-Kehl regarding the creation of a NATO missile defence system. “The goal of the NATO missile defence system is to protect the population and territory of the entire alliance from all sources of danger,” said Paet. In talking about NATO’s nuclear policy, Paet noted that nuclear deterrence is still one of the pillars of the alliance. “The predictability of the global security environment has decreased, and the need for reliable deterrence remains great,” said Paet.

The situation in Afghanistan will be discussed at the meeting of ISAF nations to take place in Tallinn. “We will discuss opportunities and terms for starting to hand security responsibilities over to the Afghan authorities, as well as issues related to training the Afghan security forces,” said Paet. “We will discuss the basics principles of handing responsibility for security over to the Afghan authorities at the Tallinn meeting. There are also plans to update the political-military plan of NATO’s extensive strategy,” explained the Estonian foreign minister.

Foreign Minister Paet said that NATO-Russia relations would also be discussed. “Russia is an important partner to the alliance, but partnership must be based on mutual interest,” he added.

The NATO foreign ministers will also discuss further NATO enlargement, including the giving of a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Estonia supports giving a MAP to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Representatives from 45 nations and several international organisations are expected in Tallinn for the informal NATO foreign ministers’ meeting from 22-23 April. Meetings will take place in the conference centres of downtown Tallinn hotels and in the Estonian National Opera.

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Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Strobe Talbott’s work as an important creator of American foreign policy during the presidency of Bill Clinton set a foundation for Estonia and many other nations to join NATO. “Now, as a member of NATO and the European Union, Estonia has become a strong supporter of extending of the values of these organisations,” said Paet. “We feel it is especially important to share our experiences with acceding states. Estonia and other like-minded nations are attempting to support the European Union’s Eastern Partners and keep them in focus. Within the framework of these endeavours, we plan to establish an Eastern Partnership training centre at Tallinn’s Estonian School of Diplomacy,” said Foreign Minister Paet. Paet noted that co-operation and exchanging ideas with various think tanks, including the experts at the Brookings Institute, will certainly be helpful for the establishment of the training centre.

Another topic discussed was European Union-USA co-operation. According to Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, close co-operation between the European Union and the USA is the basis for stability, economic growth, and lasting development in the Euro-Atlantic region. “The partnership between the European Union and the USA differs from all others due to the unique closeness of its values and interests,” said Paet. “Estonia supports EU-USA co-operation becoming more effective though practical and co-ordinated activities, primarily in the areas of energy, interior and justice matters, development co-operation, and various regional issues,” the foreign minister added.

Relations with Russia were also discussed at the meeting. In talking about NATO-Russia relations, Paet and Talbott acknowledged that relations with Russia must be discussed regularly within the alliance so that the alliance can be unified in its positions. “The topic of NATO-Russia relations will also be one of the topics discussed within the framework of the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting being held in Tallinn,” Paet noted.

“In the near future we will be joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, where in addition to participating in the expert experiences and analyses of other countries, we can also share our own reform experiences on an even wider scale,” Paet said. At the meeting, Foreign Minister Paet also emphasised Estonia’s efforts and desire to fulfil all the criteria to join the euro zone on 1 January 2011.

Talbott and Solana recognised Estonia for its success thus far in international organisations and in coming to terms with the economic crisis.

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“From the standpoint of the security of European allies, the USA’s review meets our expectations,” said Foreign Minister Paet. “NATO’s nuclear policy, which relies on the American nuclear weapons located in Europe, ensures strong ties between the USA and its European allies in matters of collective defence,” he noted.

The aforementioned review is the third one of its kind and brings up new emphases in USA nuclear policy based on President Obama’s goals in this area. The review does not include any changes regarding the tactical US nuclear weapons located in Europe—on this subject the USA follows NATO’s common nuclear policy.

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Foreign Minister Urmas Paet asserted that Afghanistan is known in many nations, including Estonia, primarily in the light of stereotypes about the nation, which are mostly limited to conflicts and narcotics dealing. “The friendship schools project will increase students’ knowledge and understanding of Afghan culture and everyday life there. Supporting friendship schools will also give young people the chance to help their Afghan peers through volunteer work,” said Paet. “In addition to the chance to get to know one another better, co-operation between Estonian and Afghan schools will also include various joint endeavours that will improve the quality of education,” Paet added.

The Jaan Tõnisson Institute’s Afghanistan friendship schools project will create contacts between Estonian and Afghan schools and introduce everyday life in the country. Ten Estonian schools have already found friendship schools in Afghanistan. The friendship school activity in Afghanistan is mostly focused on the northern Afghanistan region, more precisely the fourth-largest city in Afghanistan Mazār-e Sharīf and the surrounding area.

Within the framework of the friendship schools programme, Afghanistan-themed events and activities will take place in Estonian schools, materials about Afghanistan and Islam will be compiled, teachers from Estonian schools will take a trip to Afghanistan, a documentary film will be made, and the Afghan friendship schools will be given help in compiling teaching materials.

The education situation in Afghanistan is complicated, but it has improved somewhat since 2001. While in 2001 80% of all schoolhouses had been destroyed and only 38% of elementary school-aged children attended school (and only 3% of those were girls), today there are 5.8 million Afghan children attending school, of which 35% are girls. However, most schools are lacking a schoolhouse and their lessons take place outdoors.

The implementation of the three-year global education project “MDG Awareness among schoolchildren and teachers” is being supported by the European Commission. It is being co-funded with 793 082 kroons (50 700 EUR) from the Foreign Ministry budget for development co-operation and humanitarian aid.

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Border controls will be carried out in accordance with the Schengen Borders Code and State Borders Act.

One of the priority activities of the Gali Women’s Association is the development of the Psycho-social Rehabilitation Centre. The centre has been functional for five years, and its goal is to provide psychological support and counseling to the women and youth of the Gali region. Estonia’s contribution is the first donation the centre has received in a long time to support the maintenance of the facility. For a while the centre only functioned thanks to the volunteer work of psychologists.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that the Psycho-social Rehabilitation Centre offers free consultations and counseling to patients. “At the moment it is extremely difficult for residents of the Gali region to get psychological counseling,” Paet noted. The foreign minister believes that the opportunity to get professional psychological help is especially important in the Gali region. “The people in this region live in an extremely difficult situation, which is why it can be hard to come to terms with some aspects of everyday life. All those who need help should have the opportunity to receive a psychological consultation in addition to medical aid,” said Paet.

The region of Gali is situated in Georgia, in the region of Abkhazia. The region is extremely poor and was ravaged by the war. Georgians make up 95% of the population of the region and many of them are internally displaced persons that are awaiting the chance to return to their homes.

The project is being funded from the Foreign Ministry’s development and humanitarian aid budget for 2009. The Foreign Ministry’s development and humanitarian aid budget for 2009 is 40 million kroons.

Along with Afghanistan, Moldova and Ukraine, Georgia is one of Estonia’s primary development co-operation partners.

More detailed information on the projects and an overview of Estonia’s development co-operation projects in previous years can be found at:
http://www.vm.ee/?q=en/taxonomy/term/55.

Paet stated that Estonia is increasing its civil contribution in Afghanistan. “This year we plan to send five more civilian police officers to the Afghan police training centre in Kandahar. We will also double our contribution to the European Union Police Mission,” said Paet. In addition, Estonia has plans to support the Afghan reintegration fund.

The two also discussed Estonia’s candidacy to be the location for the EU IT agency for justice and home affairs. “Taking into consideration Estonia’s highly developed IT sector, we believe that Estonia possesses all the qualifications to be a good location for the agency,” stated Foreign Minister Paet. Paet added that it is important to adhere to the 2003 decision of the European Council, according to which new European Union agencies should be located in new member states.

In talking about the economic situation more generally, the Estonian and Dutch foreign ministers agreed that all the euro zone member states must follow a responsible economic policy, as it is essential for the strength and unity of the euro zone. “Upon fulfilling all the requirements, Estonia would like to join the euro zone at the beginning of next year. Going over to the euro will significantly increase confidence in the economic environment for Estonian residents and those investing in Estonia,” said Paet. The foreign minister stated that Estonia will continue supporting investment awareness, innovation and education in order to ensure the recovery and competitiveness of the economy in the long run.

Foreign Minister Paet noted that co-operation between Estonia and Holland has worked well in representing each other for the issuing of visas. The Netherlands represent Estonia in Kenya and Jordan. Estonia represents the Netherlands for the issuing of visas in Pskov. The two ministers also discussed cultural co-operation between the countries. “Groningen University in the Netherlands is one of the ten places in the world where it is possible to study Estonian,” said Paet.

The Estonian and Dutch foreign ministers also discussed the creation of the European Union’s foreign service, Eastern Partnership, issues related to climate change, and the EU’s relations with Russia.

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The CMX is a regularly scheduled NATO Crisis Management Exercise, the goal of which is to practice political, military and civil organisation and crisis management procedures in order to be able to support NATO consultations and the collective decision-making process in a crisis situation.

Another aim of the exercise is to practice consultation procedures with the NATO partner states and international organisations participating in the exercise. Participating in CMX 2009 will be all 28 NATO member states, the partner states Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Macedonia and Ukraine, as well as Israel from the Mediterranean Dialogue countries. In addition, the sub-organisations of the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the European Union, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the International Organisation for Migration will be participating. About 2 500 will be involved in the exercise.

Institutions from Estonia that will be included in the exercise are the Foreign Ministry, Estonia’s Permanent Representation to NATO, the Defence Ministry, the Defence Forces, the State Chancellery, the Security Police, the Ministry of Economics and Communications, the Interior Ministry, the Rescue Board, the Finance Ministry, and the Justice Ministry.

This is Estonia’s fourth time participating in the CMX exercise (earlier exercises took place in 2005, 2006 and 2008).

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Foreign Minister Paet and Under Secretary of Defence Flournoy discussed Estonia and the USA’s goals in the formulation of NATO’s Strategic Concept. Prior to the meeting of NATO foreign ministers taking place in Tallinn in April, the representatives of Estonia and the USA confirmed that the basis for NATO’s activities must be Article 5 and NATO’s trustworthiness. “We want for collective defence and Article 5 to be central to the new Strategic Concept and to demonstrate NATO’s transparency, trustworthiness and strength,” said Foreign Minister Paet.

In talking about Estonia and the USA’s common goals in the Afghanistan mission, Paet confirmed that Estonia would like close co-operation with the USA in both the military and civil realms. “Estonia will continue to participate in the International Security Assistance Force on the level determined by the Riigikogu mandate for as long as it is necessary, and it will increase its civil contribution in Afghanistan compared to last year,” said Paet.

French Secretary of State for European Affairs Lellouche confirmed to the Estonian foreign minister that France contributes to the security of the European Union and adheres closely to NATO’s principles of collective defence and co-operation in the EU. Secretary of State Lellouche expressed France’s desire to begin a series of security-related consultations with Estonia. Foreign Minister Paet stated that the unity of NATO is important, including open security-related conversations with France. In talking about security co-operation, the ministers also addressed the Mistral-type ships that are scheduled to be sold to Russia.

Paet and Lellouche also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and improving military and civil co-operation there. Foreign Minister Paet emphasised the need to ensure sustainability in both increasing the ranks of the security forces and implementing development aid projects. “What is important is that the Afghans can begin to accept responsibility for the security and development of their own country,” stated Paet. According to the Estonian foreign minister, increasing the participation of Afghanistan’s neighbours in the reconstruction of Afghanistan is also very important.

In discussing Estonia’s candidacy to become the location for the EU IT agency for justice and home affairs, Paet emphasised that Estonia feels that using information technology in a more efficient way than before in the EU’s interior security sector is very important, which is why it is necessary to create a separate IT agency. “Estonia presented its official application to become the host country of the EU’s IT agency for justice, freedom and security right before Christmas. Taking into consideration Estonia’s highly developed IT sector, we believe that Estonia possesses all the qualifications to be a good location for the agency,” stated the foreign minister. Paet added that it is important to adhere to the 2003 decision of the European Council, according to which new European Union agencies should be located in new member states.

While talking about the European External Action Service and the Treaty of Lisbon, Foreign Minister Paet noted that the implementation of the treaty and the creation of a common foreign service will help make the union’s foreign policy more unified and thereby make the EU more influential globally. “We would like for a strong and wide-reaching European Union foreign service to form by this upcoming April, so that it can be fully functional by 2012,” said Paet.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Afghanistan is still one of the primary destinations for Estonian development co-operation and among our aid projects, health care is in a crucial position because it allows for actual improvement of the standard of living in Afghanistan. "With its aid projects in Afghanistan, Estonia has focused on building up the medical system in Helmand Province. As a result of the work of the health care expert, our health care aid project has been able to support the development of medical care in Helmand," said the foreign minister. "However, there is still much to be done. The mortality rate among women and children is still tragically high. In Helmand Province, which has a population comparable to that of Estonia, there are only slightly more than 1300 people in the health care sector and fewer than 100 of them are doctors," Paet noted.

The primary responsibility of the Estonian health care expert is co-ordinating the building up of Helmand Province’s network of medical establishments, emergency medical service, and other elements of the health care sector.

Anu Raisma, a member of the NPO Mondo, has long-time experience in the health care sector and has participated in missions in various crisis areas in Indonesia and Pakistan under the auspices of the Estonian Disaster Relief Team. Raisma has been a member of the Disaster Relief Team since 1999.

Since March 2008, an Estonian health care expert has been working in the city of Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province. The expert implements Estonia’s development co-operation project on location and consults with the board of the United Kingdom’s development team and Helmand’s provincial government about developing the health care system. Prior to March 2009 the Estonian health care expert in Afghanistan was Argo Parts.

There are about 1.4 million people living in Helmand Province and fewer than 100 doctors. There are medical aid stations in the larger centrums of the region such as Musa Oala, Kajaki, Sangin and Naw Zad, but these are merely primary health care stations, and many of them lack a fully trained doctor.

Afghanistan has been one of Estonia’s priority partners for co-operation development since 2006. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries on earth. A large part of the country’s population lives in extreme poverty, especially women and children. Close to 70% of the people are illiterate and 46% of Afghan children lack access to education. Developing at its current rate, Afghanistan will have difficulties achieving the UN Millennium development Goals.

Additional information about Estonia’s contributions to Afghanistan:
http://www.vm.ee/?q=en/node/4080

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Honourable Chairman,
Respected Members of the Riigikogu,
Dear guests,

Today’s foreign policy address is mainly concentrated on the following topics: security, external economic policy, and the European Union. In all three of these realms the last year brought with it progress as well as presented us with new challenges.

We are participating for the first time in the formulation of NATO’s new Strategic Concept, which will also be under discussion this spring at the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting taking place in Estonia.

In the economic realm, we have made major decisions that have brought accession to the euro zone within arm’s reach. We are also on the threshold of joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development -- the OECD -- which assembles 30 economically likeminded states.

Last spring, Eastern Partnership became an official policy of the European Union, and there are plans to establish an Eastern Partnership training centre here in Tallinn. Thanks to Sweden’s successful leadership, the European Union’s Baltic Sea Strategy, in which Estonia heads the internal market sphere, was approved in the fall. On 1 December the Lisbon Treaty became effective. Now the implementation of the treaty, including the establishment of a common foreign service, is in our hands.

And now, let us take a closer look at the aforementioned topics. First of all, security.

United States President Woodrow Wilson’s adviser Isaiah Bowman noted already when NATO was founded 60 years ago: “… there is no line anywhere in the world that can limit the United States’ area of interest, since there is no line that can prevent that which is distant from becoming the closest threat.” Today’s threats know no borders, and we in Estonia have also perceived that our security does not begin at our national, or even at NATO’s, borders, but rather much further afield.

We now know this from experience. Not only by participating in the fight against terrorism, but also because of the cyber attacks that have endured. This is why Estonia’s troops are active in the world’s crisis hotbeds and why Estonia has taken it upon itself to make the world aware of cyber threats, including the elaboration of the appropriate international and national legislation.

The United Nations Disarmament and International Security Committee group of experts, where Estonia is also represented, commenced its activities last year. Last March, the European Commission authorised the launch of the initiative for the defence of critical infrastructure, and already a month later a conference devoted to this matter was held in Tallinn. The next step on the agenda is to conduct an appropriate training exercise within the European Union.

Within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, our attention in the near future will be focused upon effective participation in the ISAF mission (International Security Assistance Force) in Afghanistan, as well as upon the formulation of the Strategic Concept and preparing for the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Tallinn this April. This confirms that NATO is visible in Estonia and in the Baltic States and that our security is better ensured than ever before.

Contributing to the formulation of NATO’s Strategic Concept has given us an opportunity to participate, for the first time, in the shaping of the Alliance’s fundamental strategy. Estonia’s objective is that both the formulation process and the final product itself will strengthen the Alliance and its transatlantic unity. One essential component of this is the open relationship and unity among the European allies. Another is taking into consideration the concerns and uncertainties of other states, including in the case of economic transactions that may seem to be advantageous at first but are in reality accompanied by security implications.

For more than 60 years, NATO has firmly stood on two pillars -- collective defence, which has been stipulated in the Charter’s Article V, and credible deterrence. These pillars must remain. And in this matter the allies share the same view.

The backbone of the Concept must consist of NATO’s visibility, credibility, and the clear expression of its capabilities. It is also necessary to achieve synergy between the collective defence capability on the one hand and capabilities in out-of-area operations on the other hand. We must devote just as much attention to dealing with both conventional and new security risks such as cyber defence and energy security. We expect substantial discussions concerning the Concept here in Tallinn.

In addition to renewing the Strategic Concept, it is important to continue NATO’s open door policy.

Last spring, the Alliance was strengthened by the accession of two new allies -- Albania and Croatia -- and at the end of the year Montenegro began to implement its Membership Action Plan (MAP). We hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina will receive its Action Plan already this spring here in Tallinn. We also support Macedonia’s imminent accession, as well as Georgia’s and Ukraine’s endeavours to integrate with NATO. It must be noted that the pledge made to Ukraine and Georgia in 2008 that they would also be able to join the Alliance is still in effect.

Respected Riigikogu!

Although Estonia has so far been left untouched by direct terror attacks, the increasing surge of extremism in the world is very deeply affecting our sense of security and solidarity. The activities of our own Defence Forces personnel in hotbeds of crises, especially in Afghanistan, have the same effect.

The size of the Estonian contingent serving in the NATO-led ISAF-mission (International Security Assistance Force) remains at 150-165 troops with most of them based in Southern Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. Although the direct mission of the Estonian troops is to ensure the security of Helmand Province, their contribution also helps in the fight against international terrorism being fought by Pakistan and the other countries in the region. Likewise, it helps to prevent the spread of drugs and the crime connected with them.

Within the process of stabilising Afghanistan, three equally essential key concepts must be kept in mind: an increase of Afghan ownership; reinforced military-civilian cooperation including NATO - EU strategic cooperation; and the intensified fight against corruption.

An essential step regarding the increased responsibility of the Afghans was the agreement reached at the international Afghanistan conference at the end of January to launch the process of gradually handing over the security responsibilities to the local authorities. Estonia is ready to contribute to the Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund that is being established for this very purpose.

Estonia will stay in Afghanistan for as long as needed, but we will withdraw our troops as soon as possible. We acknowledge the ISAF’s new Afghan strategy, as well as the contribution of additional troops by our allies. I agree with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen that “the 113 000 NATO soldiers fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan are paying as high a price as the Afghan people, but we know that the price for leaving too early could be even higher.”

Estonia’s military and civilian contribution in Afghanistan has increased step-by-step. This year, there is a plan to reinforce the Estonian contingent with, among other things, a Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices team (C-IED). Likewise, we will increase our civilian support by reinforcing our contribution to the EU Police Mission (EUPOL), as well as by continuing our ongoing development cooperation projects.

Cooperation in Afghanistan is, and will continue to be, one of the central themes of Estonia-United States bilateral relations. Both civilian and military cooperation will increase during this year -- for instance, plans are being made to launch joint projects with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Our continually excellent and tight partnership with the United States is demonstrated by the numerous bilateral visits and meetings with representatives of the new U.S. administration during the last year. Among those is President Ilves’s visit to the White House as one of the first European heads of state to meet President Barack Obama during his first year in office.

Concerning transatlantic relations as a whole, noticeable progress has been made in the course of the last year, for example in the fields of energy and development cooperation. We regard all the developments in relations between the European Union and the United States to be essential, including cooperation in supporting Eastern Partners, and overcoming the economic crisis.

In the course of the previous year, discussions concerning European security architecture gained momentum. Estonia is convinced that in dealing with today’s security threats there is no need for new agreements, but rather for enhanced political will. Instead of inventing the wheel, we must make more effective use of existing security measures and adhere to international commitments. This applies to both emerging as well as conventional threats.

The fact that we still have to take conventional threats into consideration, even at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, is demonstrated, for instance, by Russia’s large-scale manoeuvres Ladoga and Zapad, which were held last year in our immediate vicinity, not to even mention the August conflict of 2008.

Against the background of today’s security environment it is clear that the threats and challenges that the European Union is confronted with demand the strengthening of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). This is where Estonia has a moral obligation to make its contribution. Therefore we are participating in the EU’s civil missions in Georgia, Afghanistan, and the Western Balkans.

We support the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia. In the interests of ensuring the stability of the region we feel it is essential to re-establish the UN and OSCE missions as soon as possible, as well as to guarantee the unimpeded access of international monitoring missions and aid organisations to all Georgian regions. This would help to improve the humanitarian situation, including the safe return home of internally displaced persons.

Our non-recognition policy towards the separatist regions of Georgia is unchanging as is our repeated call to Russia to adhere to the cease-fire agreement.

As already stated, Europe’s security structure is based upon a firm foundation, but changes in the surrounding environment require new threat assessments to be made. We are addressing these within the framework of updating both the NATO Strategic Concept and Estonia’s National Security Concept. At this point, I’ll move on to another matter, but discussions concerning security issues will continue in the very near future, when the Riigikogu will start dealing with Estonia’s updated National Security Concept.

Honourable Riigikogu!

As the acclaimed Estonian writer Friedebert Tuglas noted three quarters of a century ago: “… even now we are reinforcing our national-European culture and filling in the gaps.” By today, Estonia has been a member of the European Union for almost six years. We have learned a lot, and others have been able to learn from us. Among other things, our accession experience has proven to be useful for others integrating with the EU. Estonia’s opportunities to pass on our transition experience will increase even more when the European Commission completes the overview of the Member States’ transition experiences, The Transition Compendium, in the compiling of which Estonia actively participated.

On the basis of the short training courses that have been provided by the Estonian School of Diplomacy for years already, there are plans to expand the training programme meant for our Eastern Partners. The first full-scale training seminar will already take place this April. In the longer perspective, we are prepared to establish an Eastern Partnership training centre here in Tallinn similar to the Mediterranean Academy in Malta.

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has very accurately said that in the south we have European neighbours, but in the east we have our neighbours in Europe. This thought encompasses the realities of today’s Europe, which have motivated Estonia to pursue an ambitious Neighbourhood Policy. We are a principled, consistent, and strong yet demanding supporter of our Eastern Partners. Demanding because the reforms necessary for the EU integration must be implemented by the Eastern Partners themselves.

We support our Eastern neighbours through contributing to the Neighbourhood Investment Facility Trust Fund. We also continue with bilateral development cooperation projects in our priority partner countries - Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova, as well as in Belarus and Armenia.

In our view, it is essential to bring relations between the European Union and its Eastern Partners to the next level. Here we especially have in mind the concluding of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTA), the ultimate objective being a common free trade area.

Secondly, we support the expansion of visa-free travel. Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia have already unilaterally dropped all visa obligations for EU citizens. We support the continuation of the visa dialogue with Ukraine, and the initiation of one with Moldova, as well as the speedy concluding of visa facilitation and readmission agreements with Georgia. We will do our best to reach a consensus on the association agreement negotiations mandates with Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the course of the first half of the year.

Progress in partnership relations, especially in the domains of free trade and visa freedom directly reflect the European Union’s readiness to implement its four freedoms in a wider area. An outstanding example of that is visa-free travel to the EU becoming effective for the citizens of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia at the end of last year. We are ready to take a similar step with Albania as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The expansion of the freedoms is beneficial for all parties as the enlargement process of the EU has convincingly shown us. Therefore it is heartening that the European Union accepted three accession applications last year -- from Albania, Iceland, and Serbia.

Estonia maintains its constant policy of supporting EU enlargement. The enlargement process has to continue on a fair basis, remaining dependent on the progress being made by each individual candidate state.

Turkey’s intensified mediation and conciliation activities in the region are promising, as is the improvement of relations with Armenia, which is creating a premise for the regulation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We are waiting for Turkey to continue taking steps towards improving relations in its neighbourhood, and towards integration with the EU.

We support the initiation of negotiations with Macedonia as soon as possible. This is because Macedonia has, during the last year, made noteworthy progress, as well as received the most positive evaluation among the candidate states in the Commission’s last progress report.

Croatia’s accession negotiations have reached a decisive stage, but the date of its accession is dependent upon their homework as well as how quickly the ratification process of the accession treaty takes place in the Member States.

Honourable Riigikogu!

On 1 December the Lisbon Treaty became binding. Among other things it expands the role of the national parliaments—for instance, in the formulation of European Union legislation.

As a result of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Union’s foreign policy will become more unified, and therefore also more influential globally. This is supported by the establishment of a strong and comprehensive European Union External Action Service. The current objective is to make a decision concerning the creation of an all-encompassing foreign service by this April and to have it fully staffed by the year 2012. This means that in the following months there will be a lot of practical and fast-paced work to do.

Right before Christmas, Estonia presented its official application to become the host country of the EU’s IT Agency for justice and home affairs. In relation to this it is significant to note that in 2003 the European Union declared that for the establishment of new agencies, preference will be given to new Member States. At the same time, France has presented financial arguments for further development of the work in Strasbourg, where the servers are currently located. During Spain’s presidency, we are looking forward to a meaningful discussion that will hopefully lead to the making of a final decision and the launching of the Agency’s work by as early as 2012.

For Estonia increasing the European Union’s competitiveness is high on our agenda, since this is an essential factor in recovering from the economic recession. Therefore we support the formulation of an updated Lisbon Strategy -- European Union 2020 -- so as to make use of the internal markets whole potential. This is also the reason why we have, within the framework of implementing the Baltic Sea Strategy, assumed the leading role in the enhancement of the internal market sphere.

In 2009 Estonia successfully defended its interests in the European Union’s legal system. From among several court cases, it is worth highlighting our case versus the European Commission concerning the sugar fine and the matter of greenhouse gas quotas. With both court cases we have acquired experience which will help us to defend our positions in the European Union’s Court of Justice in the future.

Honourable Riigikogu!

Estonia has worked persistently for several years to accede to the euro zone and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the OECD. Today, both of them are within arm’s reach.

Our efforts to fulfil the Maastricht criteria have been successful -- Estonia is the only one to have achieved this from among the states aspiring to accede to the euro zone next year, and this even under the conditions of the economic recession. The European Commission’s former Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, Joaquín Almunia, has appraised Estonia’s chances for acceding to the euro zone as follows: “If all goes well, then in June 2010 we can give the green light for the euro zone’s 17th member.” The same message has been confirmed by the new commissioner, Olli Rehn, as well as by other financial and economic experts.

By today, we have been moving along the OECD road map for almost three years. Estonia is acceding to the OECD not only to be able to learn from others, but also to share its own experience. We hope to sign the OECD accession treaty this spring, and apparently our accession will officially become a reality already in the fall. The grand finale of the accession process will take place in this very assembly hall, since the Riigikogu has the task of ratifying Estonia’s accession treaty.

Respected Members of Parliament!

I quote: “By naming the previous year the year for combating economic difficulties, we cannot, at the same time, call it the year of extraordinary destitution and hardship, because notwithstanding the growth of unemployment due to the economic crisis, the state, local administrations, and other authorities have provided assistance to the best of their ability … We must try to increase our fighting capacity in the world market as much as we have the strength to. Concluding more favourable trade agreements, achieving larger quotas, and acquiring new foreign markets must remain the imperative tasks of our economic foreign policy…”

The above sounds like a striking appeal for overcoming the present economic crisis, but actually, this is an excerpt from the 1932 issue of the annual publication “Eesti kroonika” (The Estonian Chronicle). Nevertheless, the same measures are relevant almost 80 years later. We are protecting the interests of Estonian investors and entrepreneurs: last year we signed investment protection agreements with Belarus, Georgia, Morocco, and Vietnam, as well as agreements for the avoidance of double taxation with South Korea, Serbia, Israel, and the Isle of Man. At the same time, we have intensified our activities in the business diplomacy sphere.

But what separates today’s foreign trade situation from that of the 30s is the fact that the principles of free trade, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as the warrantor of them, have evolved so much that the global economy functions on a level where the protectionist moods are mostly eliminated. Nowadays regulation functions on a level that was unknown in the 30s.

It is being recognised more and more that there is no good or bad protectionism, but only one -- protectionism that restricts trade. And even if some measure that restricts free trade may seem to be a short-term victory, it would not be of medium- or long-term benefit for Estonia. Therefore, we belong to the supporters of free trade principles and we act in accordance with them in the European Union and, thereby, also in the WTO.

Estonia’s priority in the European Union is the establishment of trade relations with our neighbours, among them Russia. Vis-à-vis Russia’s protectionist measures, we continue to believe that it is essential that Russia join the WTO.

In the context of Estonian and Russian relations, we are celebrating on 14 February – Valentine’s Day -- a significant anniversary: 90 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. But the relations of neighbouring states do not consist of just diplomatic communications.

Everyone who has walked along the streets of Tallinn’s Old Town this winter or seen the length of the Moscow trains in the Baltic Railway Station has had the opportunity to be persuaded that the term “relations with Russia” encompasses many diverse facets. And the increasing tourist trade and cultural relations are just a part of our developing cooperation.

In 2008 Russian tourists became interested in Estonia again and the number of accommodations increased by half, and last year this trend continued, with a record number of Russians spent the holidays in Estonia. Tourism has, no doubt, been spurred by the launching of the Tallinn-St. Petersburg direct flight last summer. There is also the fact that Estonia has dropped the visa invitation requirement and adopted the objective of issuing long-term multi-entry visas to third country travellers. Due to complicated economic conditions, bilateral trade has declined, but Russia, with its close to 9% share, remains Estonia’s fourth largest trading partner.

In the course of the last year and a half, we have, time and again, had to answer the question: what have we done to protect and promote Estonian economic interests during the economic crisis?

I believe that we have been able to offer more state support for solving the problems of Estonian businesses. Our representations abroad have been very active in this sphere. The number of inquiries our economic affairs diplomats responded to last year increased threefold comparing to 2008. All in all, the Foreign Ministry has helped Estonia to recover from the economic recession with various business diplomacy activities.

We also took various steps to improve internal coordination in promoting foreign trade. For instance, a cooperation agreement was concluded between Enterprise Estonia, the Foreign Ministry, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.

Keeping in mind the global changes that have taken place in the world economy, we have begun to increase our activity and presence in Asia and the Middle East. Last year we opened in Tel Aviv, Estonia’s first representation in that region. In the near future, our Embassy in Cairo will also be inaugurated. In addition to this, we plan to open an Estonian Consulate this upcoming spring in Shanghai during the EXPO and to appoint honorary consuls in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Syria (Damascus).

Asia, as well as the Middle East, will be shifting more and more into our foreign policy focus. In addition to developing bilateral economic and political relations, Estonia’s presence in these parts of the world will enable us to participate more actively in the formulation of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

At the same time, regional cooperation within the circle of the three Baltic states, as well as within the Nordic-Baltic 8, is ever more important for us. One of today’s greatest challenges for Baltic cooperation is the fulfilling of our international commitments in such a manner that it will not put regional security or our international trustworthiness in doubt. Practical cooperation with Latvia and Lithuania is essential not only in connection with foreign and security matters and recovering from the economic recession, but also with the establishment of the Nordic-Baltic energy market and the launching of energy projects that are essential for the entire region, not to mention with the improvement of the health of the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea is one of the most unique, but also one of the most polluted seas in the world. Therefore we regard the implementation of the commitments adopted yesterday at the Baltic Sea Summit in Helsinki as essential. Likewise, Estonia is paying serious attention to the establishment of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, since its border-crossing environmental effects will impact all the countries in the region.

Dear Listerners,

Although our parliament has not had to attract attention by holding underwater sessions, we fully realise that climate change is affecting all of us equally. It is clear that the world needs an ambitious and legally binding protocol with which all nations, except for the poorest, will commit themselves to the fight against climate change.

Estonia has by now fulfilled and even surpassed the Kyoto Protocol objectives for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, we have to keep in mind that in promoting a green economy, including the cleaner production of energy and the use of sustainable energy sources, we still have several generations’ worth of work ahead of us.

In a broader context, we have to avoid the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by just transferring polluting production to third countries, and this also in the case in producing electricity. Therefore it is necessary for the European Union to clearly regulate the import of electricity from outside of the European economic area so as to ensure the equal treatment of all parties in the market and the achievement of the climate objectives.

In addition to the environmental aspects, the diversification of energy sources is also essential from a security point of view, since it would reduce our dependence upon large-scale energy suppliers located outside of the European Union. One measure in this sphere would be the Southern Corridor Concept, which, if implemented, would start supplying the European Union with more gas than ever before from the Caspian region, Central Asia, and the Middle East, independent of current major suppliers.

Energy security is a strategic issue not only for Estonia or the European Union, but also for our Eastern Partners. Estonia’s contribution to the improvement of the environment and the energy security of our Eastern Partners is reflected by the fact that we have joined the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership. Right now the Nordic and Baltic states, the European Commission, the United States, Poland, and Ukraine are participating in this initiative. There are plans for including all Eastern Partners in the future.

Honourable Riigikogu!

Development cooperation is one of those spheres that has, in the course of the last ten years, gradually increased in importance in Estonia’s foreign policy. Estonia which in 1998 implemented the first development cooperation project, has by today become a donor who has supported the development of Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Afghanistan, as well as other countries.

Last year, within the framework of the UN, we headed the humanitarian aid segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the Estonian ambassador to the UN was elected to co-direct the UN development cooperation system reform. Under the direction of the UN under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs, we carried out in Tallinn a seminar for Eastern European states, for the purpose of explaining the implementation of the principles of international humanitarian aid.

Likewise, we have an opportunity to prove our trustworthiness in humanitarian aid matters by co-chairing along with Ireland the Good Humanitarian Donorship group. This co-chairing will last until July, and Estonia is the first one of the so-called emerging donors who has been given this responsibility.

The recent earthquake in Haiti and several other natural disasters, have reminded us with their severity that the number of people who need humanitarian aid to survive is constantly increasing. Estonia has thus far aided Haiti with nearly 5.5 million EEK and has dispatched a logistics team and other experts, as well as equipment.

Estonia has begun to increase its general activity within the framework of the UN in matters where we have the opportunity to make a contribution. A gratifying achievement last year was the fact that Estonia was chosen to be a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

We have begun a campaign to become a member of the UN Human Rights Council in 2012-2015, and we have the objective of becoming a candidate for the UNICEF Council, as well as the Women’s Status Commission.

This reflects the fact that Estonia appreciates the UN’s role in promoting human rights and also contributes to this endeavour. We have done this both as a member of ECOSOC and chairing the UN Development Fund for Women, as well as through different funds and programmes promoting the development, health, and education of women and girls.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari has stressed that perseverance is of primary importance in changing the role of women in conflicts: “Persistence in realising goals and relying on one’s moral compass and basic values are the means for changing the world -- or our immediate neighbourhood -- for the better.”

Thus, we regard the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325, which was adopted 10 years ago, and in which the UN for the first time recognised women’s role in ensuring peace and security and turned attention to the disproportionate effects that conflicts have upon women, as being essential.

Respected Members of the Riigikogu!

Estonia’s size and our limited resources restrain the network of our foreign representations. Therefore it is a priority for us to cooperate with other EU Member States in the field of reciprocal visa representation.

In 2009 we concluded visa representation agreements with six countries -- Austria, Spain, Netherlands, Lithuania, France, and Hungary, and in January of this year with Poland. All together, Estonia has concluded visa representation agreements with 11 sates for the issuing of visas to the citizens of 77 countries. On the basis of the aforementioned representation agreements, Estonia represents Netherlands and Finland in Pskov, and soon also in Poland; Finland in Minsk; and Slovenia in Sofia. Negotiations are being held with Sweden, Slovakia, and Switzerland.

Last year, the network of our honorary consuls was increased by as many as 28 individuals representing Estonia’s interests in various parts of the world. So, by today, 125 honorary consuls are dealing with Estonian matters in 59 countries.

Honourable Riigikogu!

This is a year of great expectations and preparations. Participating in the formulation of NATO’s new Strategic Concept and hosting the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, fulfilling the euro zone criteria, joining the OECD, forming the European Union’s external action service, and implementing the Baltic Sea Strategy -- all of this places greater responsibilities and commitments upon our foreign policy, but is also creating noticeably broader opportunities.

Likewise, the opportunities for introducing our culture on a broader basis are increasing in connection with Tallinn becoming the cultural capital of Europe. But introducing Estonia to the world is a task which, like the building of Tallinn, never ends. And may our guiding principle in this endeavour be the motto from the city gate of the Hanseatic city Lübeck: Concordia domi -- foris pax -- harmony at home, peace outside of it!