Hussar said at the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia that Estonia was continuing the supporting of Armenia’s democracy and aspirations to accede to the European Union.
Hussar assured that Estonia’s bilateral relations with Armenia were excellent, and recalled the successful and meaningful visit of his Armenian counterpart to Estonia in March. “Since last year, Armenia is again a priority country for Estonia’s development cooperation. We have focused on supporting education and democracy,” Hussar said.
Estonia and Armenia have had successful joint activities in IT, space technology, education and culture.
Mirzoyan also expressed satisfaction with bilateral cooperation. “We have historic sympathy between our two counties,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia said. According to him, it is important that Estonia supports Armenia’s aspirations to become a member of the European Union, to be a part of the democratic world.
The situation in the South Caucasus and the factors influencing the situation there were also discussed at the meeting. Hussar underlined that Estonia considered it important to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in the region.
Hussar and Mirzoyan also spoke of Russia’s war in Ukraine and discussed the changed security situation in the world. Hussar emphasised that Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s continued international isolation were of key importance to ensuring feeling of security in relations between countries.
Chairman of the Estonia-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group Mati Raidma also participated in the meeting.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Hussar said at the meeting that Estonia and Singapore had much in common, as they both were small and efficient countries with open economies. “Estonia learnt from you when we started building our country 30 years ago, and now we have reached a level we can be proud of,” he stated.
Hussar pointed out that the two countries were also united by a high level of education. “According to PISA tests, Estonia and Singapore are both leading countries in basic education. Good education is the foundation of future development and also provides the basis for future economic growth,” Hussar said. He also acknowledged the strong economic ties between the two countries and underlined that Estonia would like to develop the relations and cooperation further, especially in the digital sector.
Speaking of Russia’s full-scale war, which has lasted nearly 2.5 years, Hussar said he was concerned about the developments in Ukraine. “We have to help Ukraine in every way and as much as we can, so that Russia would be defeated in this war it has itself started. Otherwise, it will have a much wider impact – not only in Ukraine, but also in the rest of the world,” he said, and thanked Singapore for supporting Ukraine and imposing sanctions against Russia. It was also emphasised at the meeting that Russia must be held accountable for the crimes and destruction it had committed in Ukraine.
Topics relating to education, as well as the global security situation, the impact of Russian propaganda and the developments in China were also discussed in depth at the meeting. Besides Hussar, member of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Andres Sutt and member of the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Kadri Tali participated in the meeting.
The President of Singapore, who is on an official visit to Estonia, has already had meetings with President Alar Karis, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and representatives of Estonian start-up companies. Today he will also meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna. The President of Singapore is on the visit together with his wife Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
The Expert Panel was convened last year. The result of its work is a comprehensive report “The Situation and Perspectives of the Estonian Economy. Report of the Expert Panel on Competitiveness to the Riigikogu” that discusses the future prospects, opportunities and obstacles of the Estonian economy, and outlines forward-looking economic policy recommendations.
Members of the press, You are welcome to attend the press conference where Chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Jaak Aab and members of the Expert Panel on Competitiveness Ülo Kaasik, Priit Vahter, Kadri Männasoo and Uku Varblane will give an overview of the contents of the report and its recommendations.
The press conference will be held today at 12 noon in the Conference Hall of the Riigikogu. The press conference will be webcast live.
The report shows that changes in business models multiply the positive impact of digitalisation, and artificial intelligence also has a great potential in increasing productivity. The report also focuses on energy, highlighting new incentives to invest in Estonia brought about by the green transition, underlining the need to think about energy efficiency when valorising green electricity, and setting out that 60–80% share of renewable energy will ensure the lowest price of electricity. At the same time, Estonia’s productivity is held back by education drop-outs, mismatches between jobs and skills and excessive labour turnover.
The members of the Expert Panel on Competitiveness are Deputy Governor of the Bank of Estonia Ülo Kaasik, Professor of Applied Economics of the University of Tartu Priit Vahter, Tenured Professor of Applied Econometrics at Tallinn University of Technology Kadri Männasoo and Head of Research at the Foresight Centre Uku Varblane. Numerous experts and stakeholders, like other universities and research institutes, representatives of employers and employees as well as public authorities were also involved in the work of the Expert Panel.
The video recording can be viewed later on the YouTube channel of the Riigikogu. Photos can later be found in the Riigikogu photo archive (author: Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu).
The election will take place tomorrow at the PACE plenary sitting and one of the leading candidates for the position is the long-time member of the Estonian delegation to the PACE and honorary member of the PACE Indrek Saar.
The Head of the Estonian delegation Liisa-Ly Pakosta sees this as a historical opportunity because Indrek Saar has reached the final round of voting, which is in itself a very high praise for his committed work in the Council of Europe. “Indrek enjoys the full support of the Estonian government and the Riigikogu delegation. We have all actively sought further support by highlighting Estonia’s efforts in security, digital development, and environmental topics while protecting human rights,” Pakosta stressed. Other candidates running besides Saar are Didier Reynders (Belgium, ALDE) and Alain Berset (Switzerland, SOC).
At its plenary today, the PACE will discuss the challenges faced by democracy in Georgia.
On Wednesday, the Assembly will discuss the legal and human rights aspects of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and enhancing the sanctions against Russia. The discussion will also touch on fight against erasure of cultural identity —identicide—in war or peace. Thursday will be dedicated to seeking both immediate as well as long-term political solutions to support the people resettled from Ukraine.
The schedule includes a speech by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Estonian delegation to the 3rd part-session of the PACE plenary assembly is made up of its head Liisa-Ly Pakosta and members Eerik-Niiles Kross, Aleksei Jevgrafov, Reili Rand, and Tõnis Lukas.
At the meeting, Hussar noted that the visit was taking place on a special day for Estonia—on the Victory Day. “Strengthening our defence capability is important for us, but it is equally important that we are never alone again. We are members of NATO, and at the Victory Day parade in Narva, the Allies were with us. I believe that the Victory Day celebrations gave the border town the reassurance that every inch of Estonia’s territory is protected,” he said.
Hussar thanked Spain for its great contribution to the strengthening of security in the Baltic region and on NATO’s eastern flank more widely. “Spain’s participation in the Baltic air policing missions is very important for Estonia. We are also grateful for the decision to deploy the NASAMS medium-range air defence system to Estonia again in August. We very much appreciate the contribution and cooperation of our allies and partners. It makes NATO stronger and shows what being an ally and collective defence really mean,” he said.
Speaking of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, Hussar pointed out that developments in Ukraine were important not only for Ukraine but for the whole democratic world. “Ukraine is fighting for all of us, and we must continue to support them in every way, including providing military aid,” he said, adding that Estonia expected that the decisions on strong support for Ukraine would be taken at the NATO Summit in Washington in July, where the continued strengthening of defence and deterrence posture and the increasing of defence spending would be discussed as matters of importance.
Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu Kalev Stoicescu also participated in the meeting of the President of the Riigikogu and the King of Spain.
Today, the King of Spain, together with President of Estonia Alar Karis, also visited the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship-aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I of the Spanish Navy, which has arrived in the Port of Tallinn. From Estonia, the King will proceed to Lithuania and Latvia.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
The Expert Panel was convened last year. The result of its work is a comprehensive report “The Situation and Perspectives of the Estonian Economy. Report of the Expert Panel on Competitiveness to the Riigikogu” that discusses the future prospects, opportunities and obstacles of the Estonian economy, and outlines forward-looking economic policy recommendations.
Members of the press,
You are welcome to attend the press conference where Chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Jaak Aab and members of the Expert Panel on Competitiveness Ülo Kaasik, Priit Vahter, Kadri Männasoo and Uku Varblane will give an overview of the contents of the report and its recommendations.
The press conference will be held on Tuesday, 25 June, at 12 noon in the Conference Hall of the Riigikogu. The press conference will be public, and it will be webcast live.
The report shows that changes in business models multiply the positive impact of digitalisation, and artificial intelligence also has a great potential in increasing productivity. The report also focuses on energy, highlighting new incentives to invest in Estonia brought about by the green transition, underlining the need to think about energy efficiency when valorising green electricity, and setting out that 60–80% share of renewable energy will ensure the lowest price of electricity. At the same time, Estonia’s productivity is held back by education drop-outs, mismatches between jobs and skills and excessive labour turnover.
The members of the Expert Panel on Competitiveness are Deputy Governor of the Bank of Estonia Ülo Kaasik, Professor of Applied Economics of the University of Tartu Priit Vahter, Tenured Professor of Applied Econometrics at Tallinn University of Technology Kadri Männasoo and Head of Research at the Foresight Centre Uku Varblane. Numerous experts and stakeholders, like other universities and research institutes, representatives of employers and employees as well as public authorities were also involved in the work of the Expert Panel.
Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee Liisa Pakosta explained that it was important for Estonia that the opportunities for students to study at the universities of the United Kingdom would improve, tuition fees would decrease, and a possibility for health insurance at favourable conditions would be created.
“The European Union is valuable for Estonia because, for one thing, we as a small nation can benefit from the advantages of studying in the UK universities similarly to large nations. The UK first started negotiations for young people to study on favourable conditions with larger nations, but the EU considered that discriminatory against smaller Member States. Estonia welcomes the European Union’s decision to hold negotiations on study conditions in such a way that smaller nations are also at the table as equals from the start,” Pakosta said.
The Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee noted that while more than 600 Estonian students were studying in the United Kingdom, currently there were as few as a dozen UK students in Estonia. “Therefore, it is important to also promote the studying opportunities our higher education institutions offer to international students,” she added. “We also need to ensure that Estonian students who are studying in the UK, or wish to do so, would be offered better financial conditions. Tuition fees at a large number of UK higher education institutions have multiplied for our young people, reaching to more than £40,000 per academic year.”
The explanatory memorandum points out that the agreement will make it possible to achieve uniform rules for mobility in Schengen area for young people of 18-30 years of age, contributing to the creation of a clearer and better legal space. The agreement would give young people in Estonia the same opportunities to study, work or do a traineeship in the UK as UK nationals in Estonia or other EU countries.
Advisers of the Ministry of the Interior Katarina Budrik and Harry Kattai gave an overview of the Council decision authorising the opening of negotiations for an agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on youth mobility, and outlined the positions presented by the Government.
The European Union Affairs Committee decided by consensus to support the positions presented by the Government, considering the opinion of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu.
For more information, please contact: Liisa Pakosta, phone +372 502 6191
The aim of the Acton the State’s Supplementary Budget for 2024 (456 SE), initiated by the Government, is to ensure the financial stability and sustainability of the country. With the supplementary budget, Estonia will comply with the European Union’s budget rule under which the budget deficit must remain within 3% of GDP.
The measures in the negative supplementary budget amount to a total of 183 million euro, which will improve the budget position by 173 million euro. The Act on supplementary budget includes nearly 115 million euro in savings measures and 68 million euro in additional revenues. Savings in the state’s current expenditure will mainly concern management and operating costs, and public foundations will also have to contribute to savings. More dividends will be taken from state-owned companies to increase state revenues.
On 8 December last year, the Riigikogu adopted the state budget for 2024, which had a revenue volume of around 16.7 billion euro and an expenditure volume of around 17.7 billion and an investment budget of around 817 million euro and a financing transactions budget of 1.4 billion.
During the debate, Andrei Korobeinik (Centre Party) and Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) took the floor.
61 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and 12 were against.
The Act on Amendments to the Land Tax Act (437 SE), initiated by the Government, increases local governments’ decision-making power in determining land tax. The amendment of the Act will not mean an increase in land tax to a greater extent than provided by the current Act. The tax relief for land under homes will remain in place, but its amount will be decided by municipal councils which will be given greater discretion for this.
At present, the fiscal autonomy of local governments is insufficient, leaving municipalities dependent on central government funding decisions. This forces municipalities to wait for state funding when making their budgets, which in turn hinders forward planning for local life. Increasing fiscal autonomy at local government level will allow municipalities to strike a better balance between the level of services and the imposition of taxes.
In 2025, the annual increase in land tax will be subject to a uniform national ceiling of up to 50 percent, and 20 euro in the case when the 50 percent increase in an amount of land tax is less than 20 euro. From 2026 onwards, local governments will be able to set their own limit for the annual increase in land tax, ranging from ten to one hundred percent. Land tax cannot exceed the amount of the land tax calculated on the basis of the taxable value of the land and the land tax rate.
According to the Act, the nationwide area-based tax relief for land under homes will be abolished from 2026, but local governments will be able to decide on the size of the amount-based tax relief for land under homes. The relief may be up to a thousand euro and land tax will have to be paid for the part exceeding the tax relief. A higher land tax can be paid in two instalments: by 31 March and 1 October. The Act increases the amount of the first payment from 64 euro to 100 euro.
Pursuant to the Act, from 2025 the maximum tax rate on residential land and land parcels located within yards on profit yielding land will be increased from 0.5 per cent to one per cent of the taxable value of the land. The maximum rate of land tax on “other land”, such as commercial land, production land and transport land, will also be increased from one per cent to two per cent of the taxable value of the land.
In addition, the Act makes a specification that land in state ownership with intended purpose of public construction works land will be exempt from tax only if the land is used by a state agency or local government agency.
Land tax is currently the only property tax in Estonia that has remained at the same level since 2012.
During the debate, Aivar Kokk (Isamaa), Lauri Laats (Centre Party) and Varro Vooglaid (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.
56 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and 20 were against.
The Act on Amendments to the Information Society Services Act and the Penal Code (224 SE), initiated by the Government, brings Estonian law into conformity with the EU Regulation on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online.
The main aim of the Regulation is to improve cooperation with hosting service providers in the EU in order to enhance the removal of terrorist content online. The Regulation concerns social media, as well as video, image and audio-sharing services in the case of which, at the request of users, the hosting service provider publishes web content which is publicly available and which is not subject to access restrictions, for example, password or encryption.
According to the Act, hosting service providers are required to adopt the necessary measures to prevent the spread of terrorist content online and in the event of the existence of such content they are required to remove or disable access to it. The Act also regulates the division of tasks in order that it would be possible for competent authorities to implement measures arising from the Regulation and to exercise supervision over compliance with the obligations of hosting service providers.
In addition, the Act amends the provision on incitement to acts of terrorism in the Penal Code so that, in the future, it will be possible to also hold liable persons who incite to the commission of acts of terrorism when they issue incitements in a manner hidden from the public, for example, in moderated forums or groups.
63 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and one was against.
The Act on the Accession to the Convention for the Establishment of a European Organization for Nuclear Research and its Financial Protocol and Protocol on Privileges and Immunities (451 SE), initiated by the Government, allows Estonia to become a full member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
Estonia has been engaging in research cooperation with CERN since 1996. Estonia becoming a full member of CERN will open doors for Estonian businesses who will be able to participate in CERN procurements without limitations in the future. Namely, the total financial volume of contracts won by Estonian companies in a year and the employment and traineeship contracts of people with Estonian citizenship working at CERN is limited to the amount of the annual membership fee which was 1.45 million euro in 2023. By becoming a CERN member state, Estonia will be released of this limitation. CERN’s procurements are technology-intensive and rigorous, and thanks to CERN’s reputation, winning them is a very high quality mark for an exporting company. In cooperation with CERN, it is also possible to develop new products and technologies and to bring knowledge from cutting-edge science to business.
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) was established on 29 September 1954. CERN provides for collaboration among European States in nuclear research and in research related thereto. 23 countries are members of CERN. In order to become a full member of CERN, it is necessary to accede to the Convention for the Establishment of CERN and its Financial Protocol and the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of CERN. The associate member status is mandatory for new member states before becoming a full member. Estonia was granted associate member status on 1 February 2021.
66 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act.
The Ukrainian World Congress, which unites the Ukrainians in diaspora, decided to award St. Volodymyr the Great Medal to the Riigikogu for its contribution to supporting Ukraine, as well as in recognition of the Riigikogu being the first in the world to recognise the Holodomor as a genocide against the Ukrainian people. Estonia declared the great famine of 1932–1933 a genocide against the people of Ukraine in 1993.
The medal was presented today at a reception in the White Hall of Toompea Castle by Vira Konyk, Head of the Congress of Ukrainians of Estonia, who said that the St. Volodymyr the Great Medal was awarded to individuals, and awarding this medal to an official institution was one of the few exceptions in the history of the Ukrainian World Congress. “It is a token of gratitude from the global Ukrainian community for your continued and sincere support for Ukraine. It demonstrates a deep respect for the courage of the Parliament of Estonia, which was the first in the world to recognise the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people,” she said.
Accepting the medal, the President of the Riigikogu said that it was a recognition not only for the Riigikogu, but for all the people of Estonia. “We have firmly supported Ukraine in its fight against Russia, which is waging a war of aggression, and we will continue to support Ukraine until the victorious end of the war,” Hussar assured, and added that Estonia would also continue to support Ukraine on its path to the European Union and NATO.
In Estonia, the award of the Ukrainian World Congress was also presented to Tetyana Ivushkina, the founder and head of the Ukrainian Museum in Kohtla-Järve and the cultural society Dva Kolyory, and to Director of the Ukrainian Cultural Centre Bogdan Lyutyuk.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
“Sensing the threat posed by our aggressive neighbouring country, we spend 3.2 per cent of our gross domestic product on defence and have contributed significantly to granting military assistance to Ukraine. Now is a critical time for the Allies to develop our defence and deterrence capabilities, to which the Congress has contributed greatly in recent years through the Baltic Security Initiative,” said Stoicescu, who during his visit focused on promoting the defence cooperation between Estonia and the USA and on explaining Estonia’s perception of threat as a NATO and European border state.
Stoicescu welcomed the fact that before the US presidential elections, the representatives of the Congress reaffirmed that the allied relations of the US with Estonia are strong and would not change, regardless of the election results.
During the visit, which lasted from Tuesday to Friday, Stoicescu met with Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith, and members of the Congress Tim Burchett, Ralph Norman, Larry Bucshon, Carol Miller, Gabe Amo and Derrick Van Orden. He also had a meeting with Sonata Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State overseeing policy toward Russia and Central Europe, with whom he spoke of the threat posed by Russia.
In Pentagon, the Chairman of the National Defence Committee discussed the bilateral defence cooperation between Estonia and the USA and NATO’s upcoming Washington Summit with Principal Director for European and NATO Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defence Alton Buland. Stoicescu also participated in a discussion with the analysts from think tank RAND Corporation, and spoke at a round table dedicated to the war in Ukraine at the think tank American Enterprise Institute. Besides that, Stoicescu and the Ambassador of Estonia Kristjan Prikk, as well as representatives of many other countries, attended the ceremony of laying a wreath at the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington.
