The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, the President of the Estonia-Ukraine Parliamentary Group Mati Raidma, and member of the delegation to the PACE Raivo Tamm are on a visit to Ukraine until Wednesday, to take part in the inaugural event of the Crimea Platform, the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, and to visit Ukraine’s marine border near Mariupol.
Chairman Mihkelson explained that the objective of the Crimea Platform is to ensure the end of occupation in Crimea, which makes it an extremely welcome initiative. “Even on the 30th anniversary of restoring independence in Ukraine, the international community should continue keeping a sharp eye on the situation in Crimea, and condemn the illegal annexation of the region by Russia,” the Chairman stressed. “The Platform gives the democratic community the opportunity to come together in support of the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
Today, the schedule of the delegation includes participation in the expert forum of the Crimea Platform, to discuss the rights of the Crimean Tatars, reintegration of Crimes, non-recognition of annexation, and security threats in the Azov Sea and Black Sea region. They will also take part in the extraordinary session of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada and a cultural programme dedicated to the inauguration of the Crimea Platform.
Tomorrow, the visit will continue with the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. On Wednesday, they are to visit Mariupol and the marine border areas in the vicinity of the town.
On the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia’s independence, three generations of one family hoisted the national flag on top of Tall Hermann Tower – member of the August 20th Club Tõnu Saarman along with his daughter and grandchildren.
The President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas recognised the contribution of those who had worked unfalteringly for the benefit of Estonia, defended our security, and laid the foundation of our sense of security after the restoration of independence.
“Thirty years ago today, we woke up in Estonia with a dream to live in our own state according to our own will. On that very day, at 11.03 p.m., it became true. 69 women and men who represented us made a decision that had a great impact on our future when they unanimously restored the independence of the Republic of Estonia. As a result of the work done during the days and nights that followed, we can wake up in our country today with confidence that we can live in Estonia according to our own will for ever,” Ratas spoke.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the events around the world remind us that nothing is ever granted and that we have a lot that we have built ourselves and that we can be thankful for, and that we need to keep safe and develop further. “Equal rights and opportunities for women and men. Everyone’s right to be critical and voice their opinion if they feel the need. Freedom of speech, freedom of action, freedom of movement. Of course we need to remember that freedom also entails responsibility, the duty to also safeguard others, their lives and freedom.”
Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Urmas Viilma said words of blessing. He sees the flag as a symbol of everything that can be included under the concepts of home, family, fatherland, and freedom. “The three coloured flag that is hoisted to the top of Tall Hermann Tower every morning has been an eloquent reminder for 30 years – Estonia lives and breathes.”
President of the August 20th Club Ants Veetõusme looked back at the special morning when the flag was again hoisted to the Tall Hermann Tower. “This feeling was indescribable to the people who had had to suffer through occupations, deportations, or prison camps,” Veetõusme said. He added that the flag gave us back our dignity. “So that we would never again have to hide the blue, black and white flag of Estonia, let us all treat our country and its flag with all the respect and dignity that they so abundantly deserve.“
Speaker of the Parliament of Iceland – Althingi – Steingrímur J. Sigfússon also made a speech. He said that on 26 August 1991, Iceland was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. “With firm basis in your history and culture, supported by the will and dedication of your people, you have progressed immensely since the historical events thirty years ago,” acknowledged Sigfússon.
On 20 August 1991 at 11.03 p.m., the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia, with 69 votes in favour, adopted the Resolution on the National Independence of Estonia.
Today and tomorrow, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas will host the President of the European Parliament and the Speakers of the Parliaments of Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, who will participate in the events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the restoration of independence of Estonia.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia’s independence, President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, Speaker of the Althingi (Parliament) of Iceland Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, Speaker of the Saeima (Parliament) of Latvia Ināra Mūrniece and Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen visit Tallinn.
Celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the restoration of independence of Estonia will begin on Friday with the flag raising ceremony at Toompea. After that, the guests will attend the divine service in the St. Mary’s Cathedral at Toompea. Then they will lay flowers at the Memorial Stone to 20 August and plant trees in Kadriorg Park. At noon, they will participate in the special sitting of the August 20th Club and the Riigikogu, and at 3 p.m., attend the festive concert in the Governor’s Garden at Toompea.
Today, Jüri Ratas will have a meeting with Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Elżbieta Witek. Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Elżbieta Witek and President of the European Parliament David Sassoli will also meet with President of the Republic Kersti Kaljulaid and Prime Minister Kaja Kallas during their visit to Tallinn.
Media contact of the President of the European Parliament: Press Officer of the European Parliament Liaison Office Kadi Herkül +372 51 17510 kadi.herkuel@europarl.europa.eu
Today, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) met with Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Elżbieta Witek. The discussed possibilities for regional cooperation and spoke of the issues relating to the border defence of the European Union and its Member States.
“Estonia and Poland are close allies, and our history is similar as well,” Ratas emphasised at the meeting. “We are both members of the EU and NATO, and share the same values.” He recalled that the diplomatic relations between the two countries had lasted for a hundred years, and their trade relations were based on firm grounds, which was proven by the fact that Poland is Estonia’s most important and largest foreign trade partner in Central Europe.
Ratas thanked Poland for their contribution to ensuring the security of the region. He said that both Estonia and Poland were active in strengthening the transatlantic relations and our mutual defence and security policy cooperation was strong.
Situation on the borders of the countries of the region was discussed in greater detail. Ratas and Witek both found that the situation on the borders of the Member States was very uncertain, and it was necessary to act rapidly and flexibly.
The Marshal of the Sejm of Poland pointed out that illegal immigrants coming through Belarus had started to arrive at the Polish border more often, and the refugees from Afghanistan also needed help. This month, more than 1500 persons have illegally crossed the Polish border, and the government has decided to send troops to assist the border guards.
Ratas thanked the Marshal of the Sejm of Poland for participating in the virtual parliamentary forum of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), which was held in early summer at Estonia’s initiative, and expressed hope that Poland would continue the tradition and organise the next meeting. “Cooperation between Estonia and Poland in the framework of the Three Seas Initiative has been excellent, we think alike in many issues, and we are both committed to success of the initiative.”
Witek agreed with Ratas that the Initiative was a valuable cooperation format not only for increasing the connectivity of the North-South axis, but also as a positive platform for transatlantic cooperation, for balancing China’s influence and, through it, for strengthening the cohesion and connectivity of the European Union.
Today, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas discussed the issues relating to illegal immigration supported by Lukashenka’s regime, border defence of the European Union and human rights with his Latvian and Lithuanian counterparts and the President of the European Parliament.
Ratas underlined that the European Union had to keep the attention of its allies and partners on the situation on its external border. “We have to react to the hybrid activities of Lukashenka’s regime decisively and rapidly,” he said. “The human trafficking supported by Belarus is unacceptable. Joint efforts of the European Union Member States have helped to deter the wave of illegal border crossing for the present, but it is important to stay on guard together.”
At the trilateral meeting with his Latvian and Lithuanian counterparts, Ratas pointed out that the illegal immigrants were not the only problem, as today it was necessary also to keep in mind Russia’s military exercise Zapad, which would take place in September, and the situation in Afghanistan. “If Lithuania or Latvia are attacked, it is an attack against the whole European Union,” Ratas emphasised. The Speakers agreed that the attack against the external border of the EU was brutal.
Ratas said that the future of Europe and enlargement of the Union to West Balkan had been discussed as well. As regards the future development and the economy of the European Union, overcoming the COVID virus is also important. At the meeting, the Speakers also spoke of the situation in Afghanistan. It was found that in regard to the developments in Afghanistan and the threats originating from there, it was necessary to be ready for everything because Taliban was unpredictable and actually there was nobody with whom to negotiate, as our understanding of international relations was based on international law, which Taliban did not follow.
At the meeting with President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, the necessity of cooperation between the European Union Member States and the need to negotiate with the countries of origin of illegal immigration on stopping direct flights to Minsk were discussed.
In the afternoon, Speakers of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the European Parliament examined the situation on the Lithuania-Belarus border at Padvarionys border post and paid their respects to the victims of the massacre in Medininkai, where OMON special troops from Riga killed seven Lithuanian customs officers in July 1991.
As of yesterday, 4091 migrants had illegally crossed the Lithuanian border.
President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas, Speaker of the Saeima (Parliament) of Latvia Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen and President of the European Parliament David Maria Sassoli gave a joint press conference at the Lithuanian Border Guard School. At the press conference, all parties emphasised that the most important task in the region was ensuring the security of the borders of the European Union and its Member States. It is necessary to join forces and cooperate in every way in order to find common solutions to stop the flow of illegal immigrants sent by Lukashenka’s regime.
Video recording of the press conference can be viewed on YouTube.
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson is meeting his Latvian. Lithuanian, and British colleagues today in Jūrmala, Latvia, to discuss the latest foreign policy developments and expanding parliamentary cooperation.
Mihkelson expects the meeting to focus on the security of the Baltic region, Eastern Partnership, and the spread of misinformation. “We are sure to talk about Russia’s large-scale military exercise Zapad and the related threats to security, as well as the current situation in Afghanistan, which goes without saying,” the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee said. “We will also discuss the strategic triangle of Europe, USA, and China, and the future opportunities for cooperation between the three Baltic states and the United Kingdom,” he added.
Tomorrow’s schedule includes a visit to the Ādaži military base.
Other participants in the meeting are the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Latvian Saeima Rihards Kols, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lithuanian Seimas Žygimantas Pavilionis, and the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British House of Commons Tom Tugendhat.
Today, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas will meet with Speaker of the Saeima (Parliament) of Latvia Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen and President of the European Parliament David Maria Sassoli in Vilnius. They will examine the situation on the Lithuania-Belarus border.
The programme of the visit also includes the bilateral meeting of the President of the Riigikogu and President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda.
Main topics of the meetings will focus around the situation on the Lithuania-Belarus and the Latvia-Belarus borders. The situation with the pandemic, the future of Europe and the developments in Afghanistan will also be spoken about.
In the afternoon, the Speakers of the Parliaments of the Baltic States and the President of the European Parliament will lay flowers at the memorial to the victims of the massacre at Medininkai border post, where OMON troops from Riga killed seven Lithuanian customs officers in July 1991.
After that, they will examine the situation in the Padvarionys border post on the Lithuania-Belarus border and visit the Border Guard School. At 3 p.m., the Speakers of the Parliaments will give a joint press conference at the Lithuanian Border Guard School in Medininkai.
Tonight the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) held an extraordinary sitting to discuss Estonia’s activities relating to the situation in Afghanistan. The Committee emphasised by consensus that the Government should enable granting asylum to Estonia’s Afghan cooperation partners as soon as possible.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson underlined that in the current situation, each hour of delay in action was lost time. “Estonia’s moral and political obligation is to promptly support our Afghan cooperation partners who have turned to us with an application for asylum or will do that in the nearest future. The most important is to grant international protection to those who really need it at the moment,” Mihkelson added.
“The Government has to speed up making decisions in resolution of humanitarian issues,” Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Mihhail Lotman Committee emphasised. “Certainly the programmes connected with Estonia in Afghanistan have to be reviewed as a matter of urgency, keeping in mind first of all the security of persons,” he added.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets and Chair of the Board and coordinator of the activities in Afghanistan of NGO Mondo and coordinator of its activities in Afghanistan Riina Kuusik-Rajasaar gave the Foreign Affairs Committee an overview of the situation in Afghanistan and Estonia’s activities at the international level.
The Foreign Affairs Committee will continue the discussion of this topic in the nearest future.
On 20 August, the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia’s independence at Toompea will begin with the flag raising ceremony and end with a festive concert “The Spirit and the Power of Woman” in the Governor’s Garden. The Speakers of the Parliaments of Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland and Poland and the President of the European Parliament will also participate in the events dedicated to the anniversary.
On 20 August 1991 at 11.03 p.m., the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia adopted the Resolution on the National Independence of Estonia, with 69 votes in favour. The state that had been proclaimed on 24 February 1918 was restored. This year we celebrate the 30th anniversary of this historical event.
At 7 a.m., the flag raising ceremony will be held in the Governor’s Garden.
The event can be followed on ETV, ETV+ and Vikerraadio.
President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, President of the August 20th Club Ants Veetõusme and Speaker of the Althing (Parliament of Iceland) Steingrímur J. Sigfússon will speak at the ceremony. Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Urmas Viilma will say the words of blessing.
The flag-raising units of the academic associations and patriotic organisations will attend the ceremony in the Governor’s Garden. Music will be provided by the choirs of the Estonian Male Choir Association, conducted by Andrus Siimon, Indrek Vijard and Jaanika Kuusik, and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra, conducted by Riivo Jõgi.
The national flag at the Tall Hermann Tower will be raised by three generations of one family – member of August 20th Club Tõnu Saarman with his daughter and grandchildren.
At 10 a.m., flowers will be laid at the Memorial Stone to 20 August.
At 11 a.m., Eesti Post will present the postal stationery dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the restoration of independence in the White Hall of Toompea Castle.
The postal card with imprinted stamp has a photo of the Session Hall of the Riigikogu Building immediately after the resolution on the restoration of independence had been passed. The stamp shows the time “23.03” (11.03 p.m.), when the Supreme Council adopted the Resolution on the National Independence of Estonia.
Vice-President of the Riigikogu Hanno Pevkur, CEO of the state postal company Eesti Post Mart Mägi, President of the August 20th Club Ants Veetõusme and artist of the postal stationery Indrek Ilves will speak at the presentation.
At 12 noon, the August 20th Club and the 14th Riigikogu will hold a joint formal sitting.
President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas, President of the Republic Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the August 20th Club Ants Veetõusme and Chair of the Federation of Estonian Student Unions Marcus Ehasoo will deliver speeches at the joint sitting.
President of the 4 May Declaration Club of Latvia Velta Čebotarenoka, President of the Signatories of the Independence Act Club of Lithuania Birutė Valionytė and President of the European Parliament David Sassoli will also address the Riigikogu.
The sitting will be live broadcast by ETV and ETV+.
At 2 p.m., he August 20 Club will hold its traditional festive meeting in the White Hall of Toompea Castle.
President of the August 20th Club Ants Veetõusme, President of the 4 May Declaration Club of Latvia Velta Čebotarenoka and President of the Signatories of the Independence Act Club of Lithuania Birutė Valionytė will make speeches at the festive meeting.
At 3 p.m., the festive concert “The Spirit and the Power of Woman” will begin in the Governor’s Garden.
The concert is dedicated to the Estonian women, who have carried the home, the homeland, the people and the nation through both the hard and the bright times.
With this concert, 30 female musicians of Estonia and the Academic Male Choir of Tallinn University of Technology honour the free Estonia.
Mari Jürjens, Naised Köögis, Anne Veski, Liisi Koikson, Liis Lemsalu, Anett, Anna Kaneelina, Birgit Sarrap, Tanja Mihhailova-Saar, Dagmar Oja and Kaire Vilgats, Tuuli Rand and Kristel Aaslaid, Evelin Võigemast, Rita Ray, Lenna, Swinging Sisters, Elina Born, Laura Prits, Getter Jaani, Elerin, Inga, Rahel and Kadri Voorand will be the singers.
The singers will be accompanied by the band formed of Kaspar Kalluste, Marek Talts, Joel Remmel, Hele-Riin Uib and Swinging Sisters. The Academic Male Choir of Tallinn University of Technology will be conducted by Valter Soosalu.
The producer of the festive concert is Danel Pandre and the music director is Marti Tärn. The concert will be hosted by Üllar Saaremäe.
Due to the restrictions on the attendance of public events, we will distribute only 500 free tickets to the concert. They are available at the sales points and on the website of Piletilevi.
We ask you to present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, a certificate of recovery from COVID-19, or a test certificate with a negative result for entry to the concert. Rapid testing will also be possible.
The concert can be followed on ETV, ETV+ and Vikerraadio.
On the anniversary of the presidential election in Belarus, the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees of the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland reiterate their support for the sovereignty and independence of Belarus, call on the international community to increase support for Belarus civil society, maintain the non-recognition policy of Aleksander Lukashenko’s regime, and demand for a new presidential election in Belarus.
Full text of the joint statement:
“On August 9, 2020, a falsified Belarusian Presidential election threw Belarus into turmoil, leading to peaceful protests among the people of Belarus and the emergence of a broad democratic movement against the incumbent Aleksander Lukashenko. However, since that day, these protests of tens of thousands of people have been met with mass repression by the Belarusian regime’s authorities.
On the anniversary of the falsified election in Belarus, August 9, we, the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees of the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia Lithuania, and Poland stand in solidarity with all Belarusians on the front lines of the struggle for freedom, self-determination, and democracy.
We stand in solidarity with the more than 33,000 people who have gone through police detention for their activism and with the thousands of victims that have been brutalised, harassed, tortured, exiled, intimidated, and murdered by the regime. Despite their own supposed authorities’ inhuman and illegal treatment, Belarusians have continued to fight for freedom. We, on our part, reiterate our demands that have remained the same: an immediate cessation of all violence, the release of all political prisoners and hold a new free and fair presidential election in Belarus in cooperation with the international community and institutions.
In the year since the falsified election, the Lukashenko regime has targeted civil society groups, human rights organisations, think tanks, journalistic, environmental, social, charity, educational, youth and business organisations, and independent media to suffocate Belarus’ civil society of their desire for democracy. In addition, the regime has weaponised migration to exert political pressure on the European Union and its Member States in recent months. It is an ongoing hybrid attack by the Alexander Lukashenka regime against the integrity of the EU external border.
Thus, on the anniversary of August 9, we commit and call on the international community to increase support for Belarus’ civil society, media, and human rights organisations, maintain the non-recognition policy of Aleksander Lukashenko’s regime and maintain the demand for a new presidential election in Belarus under international observation and according to the OSCE Moscow Mechanism.
We call on the EU Council and our partners to extend individual and sectoral sanctions on the Belarusian regime, including “Belavia”, Belarus state aviation company, as long as it participates in an organised weaponisation of irregular migrants; the EU should extend sectorial financial sanctions to prevent “Belavia” from the access to the financial instruments (leasing) of the EU based financial entities.
We also call the EU institutions to prepare new sanctions regime targeting all parties involved in state-sponsored use of irregular migration flows. In addition, restrictive measures targeted at migrants’ smugglers abusing human rights should be considered and swiftly implemented. Finally, we insist on the necessity to hold those responsible to account – all those who have participated in organising and facilitating the irregular migration into the EU.
We reaffirm our support for Belarus sovereignty and independence and urge the international community to adopt an effective deterrence mechanism against attempts of the Russian Federation or other nations to sign illegitimate Lukashenka agreements, affecting Belarusian sovereignty and vital national interest. Furthermore, we call for an international investigation of the crimes perpetrated by the Lukashenko regime and the full and prompt implementation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism and the UN Human Rights Council Resolution 46/20 (on March 2021).”