Today, First Vice-President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola is on a visit to Estonia. She will meet with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Hanno Pevkur, Deputy Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Riina Sikkut and other members of the Riigikogu.
At the meeting with Vice-President of the Riigikogu Hanno Pevkur, it is planned to speak about the work of the parliament in the COVID-19 crisis as well as the state of the rule of law in Poland and Hungary.
In the Riigikogu, Metsola will also meet with Deputy Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee Riina Sikkut, Chairman of the National Defence Committee Enn Eesmaa and Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Mihhail Lotman. The discussions at the meeting will focus particularly on the issues relating to the Conference on the Future of Europe, the Belarusian hybrid attack and illegal migration.
Metsola will also have a meeting with Deputy Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee Riina Sikkut, members of the European Union Affairs Committee Urve Tiidus and Timo Suslov, Chair of the Environment Committee of the Riigikogu Yoko Alender and member of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Annely Akkerman to discuss the European Union’s climate policy package “Fit for 55”.
The Vice-President of the European Parliament will also meet with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Undersecretary for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Märt Volmer and Director of the Estonian Centre for International Development Kadri Maasik. She will visit the Experience Europe Centre and have a video discussion with students on the future of Europe and migration.
Before leaving Estonia, Metsola will have a meeting with Director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence Colonel Jaak Tarien and Chief of Staff of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence Lieutenant Colonel Bernard Hoffman.
At today’s sitting, the Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise gave the Riigikogu an overview of her activities in 2020–2021. She acknowledged the Riigikogu for the legislative amendments that had helped solve people’s problems.
At the beginning of her report, Ülle Madise pointed out that, over the year, the Chancellor of Justice had received a total of over 5000 appeals, complaints and petitions of various kind, over 3000 of which had needed a substantial solution. In the words of the Chancellor of Justice, the amount of her work had increased by one fifth over the year, and in six years, the amount of work has actually doubled. “As always, wherever we can, we try to help the fellow citizens who entrust their worries to us, and we use the shortest legitimate way for this,” Madise confirmed. She added that cooperation had been key to solving the problems of the people and avoiding situations where people feel that their country does not care for them.
In Madise’s words, it was necessary to have the common goal to make Estonia the best place to live. At the same time, this means that life must always be in line with the Constitution that stipulates our freedom, responsibility and good sense, and even one person who gets caught in the middle is one too many.
Madise thanked the Riigikogu for making amendments to the legislative provisions that had been source of unfair treatment of people. She mentioned as examples that psychiatric care had become available to young people, safety in schoolchildren’s tour buses had improved, and victims of misdemeanours had been given more rights.
As a new phenomenon, the Chancellor of Justice had noticed duties and fees imposed subjectively. She gave the example that, in return for the adoption of a detailed spatial plan, in some rural municipalities, a certain amount must be paid as a social infrastructure fee to the local budget, or as a fee to the local community for tolerating a factory. “This may be totally justified in itself,” Madise said. “However, this is where the Riigikogu should create the possibility to pay a relevant local tax or duty.”
Madise said that requesting legality was not pointless nit-picking. “Only the rule of law creates the preconditions for us having a healthy and reliable economic environment, and in the same way it creates a precondition for people feeling secure,” the Chancellor of Justice said. In her words, systemic errors had been successfully corrected in a number of cases. As an example, she mentioned a guideline on the opening of packages in customs.
Madise noted that the Chancellor of Justice was also in charge of supervising and promoting the respect for the rights of disabled people. In her words, all buildings and the public space should be safe and accessible to everyone who has difficulties to move around, and in her opinion, there are indeed positive developments in this sphere. For example, the new procurements for buses are made to procure low-floor buses. People with a hearing loss can benefit from the subtitle software developed at Tallinn University of Technology, which quickly converts speech into subtitles, and the first audio described film has been released, keeping in mind people with a visual impairment. At the same time, on the negative side, the visually impaired had been forgotten again when the registration for vaccination had begun.
In Madise’s words, the work of the Chancellor of Justice also includes inspection visits to psychiatric hospitals, prisons and care homes. The situation has been improving step by step over the years, but many things are still amiss. She pointed out the problems such as the shortage of staff in care homes, the very low salary level, and the lack of required training.
Madise said that prisons were continuing the unacceptable practice where children who came to visit their parents were being stripped for searching, which was a blatant violation of international principles, a violation of the Estonian Constitution, and totally unacceptable.
Madise recalled that, in the previous year, she had often had to explain that, even in times of the greatest crisis, the Chancellor of Justice must be guided by the Constitution and laws. “Even in time of pandemic, according to our Constitution, restrictions and deprivation of liberty must be justified, and not the other way round,” Madise said. In her words, simple solutions tend to come to mind quickly particularly in time of pandemic, and particularly in such times people tend to demand “an iron hand” and violation of the fundamental rights.
“The legal science is not and must not be formal study of the provisions,” Madise said. “When assessing the constitutionality of the restrictions of fundamental rights, it is always necessary first to establish the facts, to ascertain the circumstances of life, to study the research results of various spheres, and to involve experts in other fields. And then logical argumentation will lead to an assessment on the constitutionality of one or the other decision.”
Madise emphasised that, according to the Constitution, the Riigikogu runs the country. Unfortunately, the Chancellor of Justice is seeing in her work that the framework in which the businesses should operate under the conditions of free competition is provided not so much by Acts as by regulations of ministers, or guidelines, which does not guarantee a good economic environment. “This would be unconstitutional in any case, because, according to the Estonian Constitution, the Riigikogu must decide all significant issues,” the Chancellor of Justice said. “I have noticed on several occasions that undertakings would also like the provisions defining the conditions of competition to be omitted from Acts. Possibly with very good intentions, but there may be a tinge of lobbyism behind this as well.”
In Madise’s words, decisions that have a national impact, concern all people and restrict fundamental rights must be made by the Riigikogu. “This ensures that a public debate is held and the life experience of the 101 members of the Riigikogu is reflected in the decision that is made, and that there is constitutional review,” she said.
To conclude her report, the Chancellor of Justice spoke of the rights of children and young people in relation to local elections. “Children and young people are expecting the new municipal councils most of all to create places where they could be together, be safe and speak to each other,” Madise referred to a poll that had been carried out. “It was a very big wish of young people that their needs be noticed and that they have places to be together.”
In Madise’s words, campaigns for local elections can be carried out in youth centres and schools, because 16 and 17-year-olds have the right to vote, but there is a simple line to be drawn: “Schools and youth centres must not become the election bases of any political party.”
The Chancellor of Justice also answered questions from members of the Riigikogu.
During the debate, Marek Jürgenson (Centre Party), Lauri Läänemets (Social Democratic Party), Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa), Peeter Ernits (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) and Toomas Kivimägi (Reform Party) took the floor on behalf of their factions.
The annual review of the Chancellor of Justice is available here (in Estonian).
NordenBladet — Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Marko Mihkelson participates in the joint visit of the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to Paris, France. The visit will last until Thursday.
Mihkelson said that the visit would mainly focus on recent foreign and security policy developments as well as allied relations.
“For us, France is a very important ally and partner both in NATO and in the European Union. Several developments have taken place in recent weeks that have an impact on our allied space, therefore it is of utmost importance to communicate and exchange information about them in Paris,” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee explained.
Today, the Chairs of the Baltic Foreign Affairs Committees will meet with the representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. Tomorrow it is planned to have a meeting with President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly Jean-Louis Bourlanges and members of the Committee.
On Thursday, the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Baltic Parliaments will meet with the representatives of think tanks and the Centre for Analysis and Strategic Prognosis at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and with the European Affairs adviser to the President of France. They will also have a meeting with President of the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee Christian Cambon and members of the Committee.
NordenBladet —During a formal Transfer of Authority parade in Tapa Camp yesterday (Thu, 16 September 2021), the British Army´s Royal Tank Regiment Battlegroup took over the lead role for the NATO enhanced Forward Presence in Estonia, ensuring a smooth transition from the outgoing 1 Mercian Battlegroup. It like its predecessor comes under the command of the 1st Estonian Brigade.
Around 800 soldiers from the 1 Mercian Battlegroup have now completed their six-month deployment in Estonia, having taken part in a wide range of challenging small and large-scale exercises such as Spring Storm and Furious Wolf.
“This was the first deployment of a Mercian-led Battlegroup to Estonia, and I can safely say that this has been a very valuable experience for the troops,” said Lieutenant Colonel Dean Canham, Commanding Officer of the 1 Mercian Battlegroup. “Maintaining our fighting capabilities, we became a fully integrated part of the 1st Estonian Brigade; we learned a lot from our Estonian colleagues and were also able to provide new experiences for them, especially when it comes to combined operations involving tanks and infantry. We wish the Royal Tank Regiment Battlegroup well for a successful tour.”
The Royal Tank Regiment Battlegroup constitutes the ninth UK rotation into Estonia since 2017, when the first troops arrived under the banner of NATO´s enhanced Forward Presence to the Baltic states and Poland. Currently, the NATO battlegroup in Tapa is made up of UK and French forces.
“The Royal Tank Regiment is honoured and thrilled by the opportunity to deploy to Estonia,” said Lieutenant Colonel Simon Worth, Commanding Officer of the Royal Tank Regiment Battlegroup. “We have trained hard to reach the standard required for this demanding deployment, including a challenging six-week deployment in Germany, and are now ready to begin our mission. We are aware of the solemn commitment that the UK has made to the Estonian people and to our NATO allies, and are determined to deliver this important role to the best of our ability. In particular we are really looking forward to working with our aligned French Squadron and to operate within the 1st Estonian Brigade – the mission will provide a great opportunity to learn from each other and to improve the way that we work together. On a personal note I am really looking forward to meeting the Estonian people and to learning more about this fascinating and beautiful country.“
The Royal Tank Regiment is the oldest tank regiment in the world, tracing its origins to units formed in 1916, when tanks were first used in battles during the First World War. The “Tank Corps” battalions were formed in 1917 and in 1923 they were officially given the name “Royal Tank Corps” by King George V. In 1939 the Corps was renamed the Royal Tank Regiment, becoming a wing of the newly created Royal Armoured Corps.
During the Second World War, Royal Tank Regiment units took part in numerous battles including El Alamein, the Italian Campaign and the D-Day landings in France. In recent decades, the regiment has been involved in various operations, including those in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. This year a squadron from the Royal Tank Regiment has been part of the outgoing 1 Mercian Battlegroup.
The Royal Tank Regiment is the only UK Army unit whose members wear black uniforms or “coveralls”. These uniforms were adopted when tanks were first-used and the black colour was chosen to hide the inevitable oil stains that would appear when the tanks were operated. The black beret, another part of the regiment´s uniform, was also adopted early on, as wearing a peaked cap was found unsuitable for use in tanks.
The NATO Battlegroup is following Estonian and UK government advice and regulations regarding limiting the spread of COVID-19. All such regulations were followed during the ceremony.
NordenBladet — At the history seminar dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, held in the Parliament of Sweden the Riksdag today, close parliamentary connections and mutually supportive good relations were highlighted.
President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas recalled in his speech that Estonia’s restored independence had not been recognized at once, achieving it took both persistent action and talks, and the international community had to be convinced that Estonia’s claim of statehood was justified. “Fortunately, we were not left alone in this struggle,” Ratas said, and thanked friends and allies for their support.
The Kingdom of Sweden re-recognised the Republic of Estonia on 27 August 1991 and was the very first country to appoint its ambassador to Estonia. Swedish Ambassador Lars Arne Grundberg started his assignment in Tallinn only nine days after the restoration of independence.
Ratas pointed out in his speech that the young generation in Estonia had grown up having no personal memory of the Soviet regime. He remarked that on 17 October the young people who have been born in the EU member state Estonia would use their right to vote in the local elections. “The life speeds fast forward, and we think less and less of the past,” Ratas admitted. “Events like the today’s seminar help us to reconnect with important landmarks of our history.”
Speaker of the Riksdag Dr Andreas Norlén, who opened the seminar, emphasised the close relations between Sweden and the Baltic States during the last three decades. He said that the three Baltic States had had to fight for their independence and for restoration of their independence. Sweden could support the Baltic Stated by becoming the first country that opened its diplomatic representations. Speaker of the Riksdag assured that the interparliamentary communication that had started in these times continued today and would also continue in the future.
The President of the Riigikogu is accompanied on the visit by Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu Enn Eesmaa and Chair of the Estonia-Sweden Parliamentary Group Yoko Alender, who met with Second Deputy Speaker of the Riksdag Lotta Jonsson Fornarve. At the luncheon hosted by the Deputy Speaker, the events of 30 years ago were recalled and current problems, like overcoming the COVID pandemic and the need to tackle the spread of false information hindering the opening of societies, were discussed.
The joint meeting with members of the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Defence, which took place in the afternoon, mainly focused on different aspects of the security of the region. Traditional as well as cyber and hybrid threats were discussed. The need to support the Eastern Partnership and to have closer cooperation with like-minded countries outside the European Union was admitted. It was unanimously found that the Nordic and Baltic (NB8) cooperation had a great potential in transatlantic relations.
Tomorrow the Speakers of the Parliaments of Estonia. Latvia and Lithuania will have an audience with His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
NordenBladet — The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) unanimously recommends that the Estonian delegation should not attend the United Nations conference against racism Durban IV, to be held on 22 September, because the conference is known to have been used to promote anti-Semitism.
“The conference, which was first held in 2001, was intended to unite the international forces in the fight against racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, but it has now become an arena where the countries that violate human rights can express their racist positions,” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said. “History has shown that this conference can be used for wrong purposes. Therefore it is only right that Estonia as a member of the UN Security Council will not attend the upcoming conference and will stand against anti-Semitic statements together with its allies,” he added.
The UN conference against racism, which will be held on 22 September in Durban, is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the first conference on the same topic, held in 2001. More than 10 Member States of the European Union, as well as the United Kingdom and the United States, have announced that they will boycott the conference.
At its today’s sitting, the Foreign Affairs Committee was also given an overview of Estonia’s activities as an elected member of the UN Security Council and Estonia’s priorities at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. Estonia’s activities and priorities were introduced by Permanent Representative of Estonia to the United Nations Ambassador Sven Jürgenson and Director of the 2nd Division of the Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kristi Torim.
President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas is on a official visit to Sweden with his Latvian and Lithuanian counterparts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of re-establishing of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The visit will begin today with a seminar and parliamentary meetings in the Riksdag, the Parliament of Sweden. Tomorrow, the Speakers of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will have an audience with His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
The Speakers will also have meetings with Minister of Defence of Sweden Peter Hultqvist and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde as well as with President of the City Council of Stockholm Cecilia Brinck. They will visit the Swedish armed forces in Enköping and Uppsala University. There will also be a meeting with Governor of the Uppsala Province Göran Enander.
On Saturday, the Estonian delegation will lay a wreath at the MS Estonia Ferry Disaster Memorial in Djurgård in Stockholm and at the Freedom Gate monument to the Estonian boat refugees who fled to Sweden at the end of WW II. After that, they will meet with the Estonian community in Sweden.
The celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic relations will culminate at noon on Saturday with the Baltic Day in Sollentuna, where President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas will also make a speech. The Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian singers and folk dancers will perform. Estonia will be represented by the Estonian dance group Virvel from Stockholm.
Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu Enn Eesmaa and Chair of the Estonia-Sweden Parliamentary Group Yoko Alender accompany the President of the Riigikogu on the visit.
At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu passed an Act that provides as unfair trading practices transactions and activities that are connected to payment periods, supply, and sale conditions, and that are prohibited between buyers and sellers in the agricultural products and food supply chain.
In the Act on the Prevention of Unfair Trading Practices in the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain (377 SE), initiated by the Government, sixteen unfair trading practices have been listed, nine of which are prohibited in any case. For example, the buyer must not unilaterally change the terms of a supply agreement, cancel orders at such short notice that a supplier cannot reasonably be expected to find an alternative means of commercialising or using the products, threaten to carry out acts of commercial retaliation against the supplier, etc.
The remaining seven unfair trading practices are prohibited unless they have been previously agreed in clear and unambiguous terms. For example, if the supply contract includes no written agreement on covering the cost of discount of an agricultural product or food, demanding compensation for such costs from the seller is considered an unfair trade practice. Such transactions do not give rise to any legal consequences and are void from their inception.
Supervision over trade practices will fall in the remit of the Competition Authority. The Competition Authority will also have to publish a relevant report and, by 15 March every year, submit to the European Commission an overview on the application of the requirements of the Act and on the ensurance of compliance therewith.
Liability is also provided for infringement of the prohibition on unfair trading practices. A fine of up to EUR 1,200 or detention is provided for natural persons and a fine of up to EUR 400,000 for legal persons.
The aim of the Act is to protect suppliers of agricultural and food products against unfair trading practices by buyers. The Act transposes the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain.
During the debate, Ivari Padar (Social Democratic Party) and Aivar Kokk (Isamaa) took the floor.
90 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passing of the Act and one was against.
A Bill passed the second reading
Under the Bill on Amendments to the Restrictions on Acquisition of Immovables Act (365 SE), initiated by the Government, state foundations established to support enterprise in rural areas will be included in the list of persons connected with the state in respect of whom the restrictions on the acquisition of agricultural land and forest land are not applied. As a result of the amendment, such foundations will no longer need to apply for authorisation from the municipal council before buying land. The aim is to reduce bureaucracy, in order to better support agricultural producers and rural businesses who are facing difficulties due to the crisis.
Under the Bill, citizens of the United Kingdom and legal persons whose seat is in the United Kingdom will continue to be exempt from the application of the restrictions arising from national defence reasons in the event of acquisition of immovables.
During the debate, Eduard Odinets (Social Democratic Party), Mihhail Stalnuhhin (Centre Party) and Riho Breivel (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.
The Social Democratic Party Faction moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. Nine members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 70 voted against. Thus, the motion was not supported and the second reading of the Bill was concluded.
A draft Resolution passed the first reading
The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of a Member to the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group Monitoring the Activities of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation” (405 OE), submitted by the Legal Affairs Committee, provides for the appointment of Urve Tiidus as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group monitoring the activities of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation.
By its earlier Resolution, the Riigikogu appointed Uno Kaskpeit and Kalle Laanet as members of the scrutiny group. In connection with the suspension of the mandate of Member of the Riigikogu Kalle Laanet due to his appointment as a member of the Government, the Legal Affairs Committee made a proposal to appoint Member of the Riigikogu Urve Tiidus as a member of the scrutiny group to replace Kalle Laanet.
Based on the relevant Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, the scrutiny of Europol’s activities is carried out by the European Parliament together with national parliaments. This constitutes a specialised Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group (JPSG) established together by the EU national parliaments and the competent committee of the European Parliament. The main task of the JPSG is to politically monitor Europol’s activities in fulfilling its mission, including as regards the impact of those activities on the fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons.
A Bill was dropped from the proceedings
The Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code (373 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, was intended to establish three-to-twelve-year imprisonment for natural persons, and a pecuniary punishment or compulsory dissolution for legal persons, as a punishment for forced vaccination.
During the debate, Tiiu Aro (Reform Party), Viktor Vassiljev (Centre Party), Mihhail Lotman (Isamaa) and Mart Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.
The lead committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 51 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 18 voted against. Thus, the motion was supported and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The first reading of a draft Resolution was adjourned due to the end of the sitting
The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Riigikogu Committee of Investigation to Ascertain the Legality and Proportionality of the Police Operation in the City Centre of Tallinn in April 2021” (379 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, provides for the formation of a Riigikogu committee of investigation to ascertain the legality and proportionality of the conduct of the Police and Border Guard Board and other power structures in order to preclude arbitrary and unlawful restriction of constitutional civil liberties.
Due to the end of the working hours of the sitting, the following was postponed to tomorrow’s sitting
The first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Status of Members of the Riigikogu Act (396 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction and Member of the Riigikogu Raimond Kaljulaid.
The Riigikogu should carry forward, develop, but also safeguard and protect the pillars of the democratic and parliamentary state that are set out in the Constitution, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas said in his speech to his colleagues at the Opening Sitting of the Autumn Session.
“This is the Estonia that is built on freedom, justice and law, this is the country of our fathers where the preservation of the Estonian nation, language, and culture is ensured throughout the ages. A country where the highest power is invested in the people,” Ratas emphasised. “I firmly believe that these values provide the framework and the content to our discussions and debates during the autumn session like always.”
The President of the Riigikogu thinks that the work of the Parliament during this session must be even more geared towards a dialogue with each and every person living in Estonia. “A dialogue about how our people cope, feel secure, how our nation would survive, about both mental and physical health, education, economy, this exhausting corona virus, and international situation,” Ratas explained.
In his opinion, it is possible to have a dialogue only if talking and listening are balanced. “I believe that this will help to pacify our society, improve relations, and increase our faith in our future. We need all this in our complicated world and in Estonia very much,” Ratas said.
Ratas underlined that the decisions made to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic had to remain a priority also in the Riigikogu. He said that the objective was clear – a society that is as open as possible and where the people’s health is ensured.
Ratas set out the construction and renovation of cultural facilities of national importance, the Education Sector Development Plan for the next 15 years and the next year’s state budget as the topics that would be discussed during the Autumn Session. He added that supported the debate and expanding of the Riigikogu’s decision-making competence in regard to the state budget. President of the Riigikogu also considers it important to hold a political debate on the procedure for the election of the President.
In his speech, Ratas analysed the alarming international geopolitical situation. “The latest events in Afghanistan and on the Belarus border clearly demonstrate how important it is to build a strong democratic state and to foster allied relations,” Ratas said.
The President of the Riigikogu spoke of the local government elections as well. He invited everybody to participate in the elections and to fulfil their civic duty.
President of the Republic Kersti Kaljulaid also delivered a speech at the first regular sitting of the 6th session of the 14th Riigikogu. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, created the festive spirit at the Opening Sitting. After the festive part, the work of the Riigikogu continued with the agenda for the working week.
At its today’s sitting, the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) discussed the impact of the illegal migration pressure originating from Belarus on Lithuania and Latvia, and found that Estonia should learn from the experience of its neighbours and increase its preparedness for preventing possible illegal immigration.
Chairman of the Committee Enn Eesmaa said that Estonia had helped Lithuania from the beginning of the migration pressure by sending both equipment and people. Estonia has contributed altogether more than 900,000 euro.
In the opinion of the Deputy Chairman of the Committee Leo Kunnas, Estonia had to make preparations so that the situation of Lithuania would not be repeated here. “The situation has changed a lot, and at present our existing plan, according to which the construction of the South-Eastern border had to be completed by 2026, is no longer appropriate,” Kunnas underlined. “Estonia has to change its current plan. It is also necessary to establish a crisis reserve, because we may need that one day.”
Minister of the Interior Kristian Jaani, who gave explanations at the sitting, assured the National Defence Committee that the works for fortifying the external border of Estonia were continued actively. Currently, active preparation and construction works are simultaneously conducted on a nearly 60 km long section of the external border. He added that if necessary, it was possible to build temporary obstacles in cooperation with the Defence Forces.
Jaani also remarked that in the current situation, not only the migration pressure from Belarus on Latvia and Lithuania was under discussion, but also Poland was facing increasing challenges. “Today, it is the duty of the Baltic states and Poland to fortify the Belarusian border and to return the people who have illegally entered these countries to their homeland,” Jaani said.
Undersecretary for Defence Readiness of the Ministry of Defence Meelis Oidsalu also replied to the questions of the members of the National Defence Committee.