NordenBladet – Women can serve in all roles in the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Gen. Riho Terras said on Thursday (01.March).
“Estonia is too small to leave half of our population out of national defense,” Terras said in remarks released ahead of a conference titled “Women, Peace and Security”. This is true for the defense forces as well — we have neither specialties nor units where women’s participation would be barred or restricted due to gender. Women do not have to be only medics or members of the signal corps; they can serve in all roles in the EDF.”
In his opening remarks at the conference, the Estonian defense chief said that the ideology of a popular military is central to Estonia’s defense forces.
NordenBladet – If you haven’t updated your ID card’s digital certificates yet, you have until Mar. 31 to do so. After that, the certificates will be deleted, and the your card can’t be used for digital identification anymore.
So far 441,000 people have updated their ID cards’ digital certificates, 322,000 of them remotely, the Police and Border Guard (PPA) reported. Some 100,000 cards’ certificates still haven’t been updated though. These cards will still be useful beyond Mar. 31 as a physical means of identification, but their holders won’t be able to access e-services anymore.
NordenBladet – While the ice road between the mainland and the smaller island of Vormsi was opened on Thursday, the islanders on Hiiumaa and Saaremaa still have to wait, as the ice between the two largest islands isn’t thick enough yet to take the weight of cars and trucks.
The ferry route between Rohuküla on the mainland and Heltermaa on the island of Hiiumaa is currently interrupted due to the very low water level in the shipping channel. A temporary connection between the island and the harbor of Virtsu has run since late on Thursday, but it is slow both because of the conditions along the route as well as the fact that the Saaremaa ferries are operating out of Virtsu as well.
The only other way Hiiumaa residents have to reach the mainland is by taking the much smaller ferry from Hiiumaa to Saaremaa first, and then to drive to Kuivastu and take the ferry from there. An ice road between the two major islands would make this a lot easier, but the ice isn’t yet thick enough to take the weight of cars and trucks.
NordenBladet – The Economic Crime Department of the Latvian State Police has launched a probe into recent statements made by Baiba Rubesa, CEO of the Baltic countries’ joint venture RB Rail, regarding interference in the company’s activity and shareholders’ conflict of interest.
After the probe is complete, the police will decide if there are substantial enough grounds for opening a criminal case, State Police spokesperson Gita Gžibovska said.
As previously reported, the Estonian and Lithuanian shareholders of RB Rail on Feb. 1 expressed no confidence in Rubesa; Latvian representative Andris Linužs, head of Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas, abstained from the vote. The matter will be discussed by the company’s supervisory board at its next scheduled meeting on March 22.
Following the censure motion, Rubesa said that some supervisory board members have a conflict of interests, citing that they make decisions while simultaneously serving in two positions.
NordenBladet – According to the calculations of the Ministry of the Interior, approximately €15 million per year in tax income could be expected due to alleviation measures on immigration restrictions approved by the government at the beginning of February.
The government in February decided that the immigration quota will not be raised above 0.1 percent of the Estonian population, or 1,317 people per year. At the same time, however, top specialists will be excluded from the quota and the maximum limit of short-term employment in Estonia will be extended from a period of nine months to one year.
Based on the government’s decision, the Ministry of the Interior developed amendments to the Aliens Act, which the ministry sent out for coordination on Thursday. Based on the letter of explanation accompanying the amendments, it is expected that as a result of the amendments, the number of foreigners working in Estonia on a short-term basis will increase by 2,500 people, not including the 124 top specialists working here with a temporary residence permit.
NordenBladet – Tallinn Circuit Court on Friday made a decision in a civil dispute related to the Autorollo bankruptcy case for a second time, finding that there are no grounds to claim damages related to the road haulage firm’s bankruptcy from Rain Rosimannus, son-in-law of Autorollo owner Väino Pentus.
The appeals court annulled the June 27, 2014 Harju County Court judgment in the part where €135,657.98 was adjudged from Rain Rosimannus and Rosimannus was ordered to pay his own procedural costs.
The appeals court did not grant the claim of OÜ Autorollo receivers Martin Krupp and Katrin Prukk on Rosimannus in the amount of 176,600 euros plus the penalty for delay and ordered the procedural costs incurred by Rain Rosimannus to be borne by Krupp and Prukk.
The circuit court also quashed the portion of the Harju County Court judgment which satisfied the plaintiff’s claim for the compensation, jointly and severally, by Siim Roode and NJORD Advokaadibüroo OÜ of the damage arising from the payment of the debt of OÜ Autorollo debtors to third persons in part, in the amount of 17,954.75 euros plus the penalty for delay, and left that claim fully unsatisfied.
A third portion of the original verdict quashed by the appeals court concerns a claim for 6,135.52 euros and the penalty for delay to be paid jointly and severally by Roode and NJORD Advokaadibüroo OÜ.
NordenBladet – According to Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Kadri Simson (Center), free public transport on county bus lines in Estonia will enter into effect as of July 1, daily Eesti Päevaleht reports.
The minister told the newspaper that the idea of free rides on county bus lines has been moved forward with and free regional public transport will start in Estonia from July 2018. “We have taken a very thorough and long preparation period. It is important that regional public transport centers determine the bus schedules and everyday departures,” Simson said.
Simson said that meetings between the employees of public transport centers and the Estonian Road Administration have constantly taken place and work has been done to alter contracts with current carriers.
NordenBladet – It was confirmed during the fifth annual Tallinn Conference on the Eastern Partnership held on Friday that the development of the countries of Eastern Partnership and their integration with the European Union continue to be important in Europe’s political agenda, ERR mediates.
“Eastern Partnership and the development of these countries are important for Estonia, which was demonstrated also by our presidency of the Council of the European Union. Estonia will continue to support Eastern Partners and to make sure that the bus will not drive away and we will try to help all Eastern Partnership countries to achieve your objectives of state building and economic development. We know ourselves how difficult these kind of reforms can be,” Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said.
The director of the Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership, Jaan Reinhold, said that the goal was to chart the expectations of the different parties that were supported at the summit and analyze the goals toward which to move with our expectations.
NordenBladet – The first festive event of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia was hoisting the flag on the Pikk Hermann tower on Tallinn’s Toompea Hill at sunrise. Every day, the Estonian flag is hoisted at sunrise, and taken down at sunset. On Independence Day this is a special event that attracts plenty of people every year. Representatives of student organizations, choirs, and other groups close to Estonian traditions attend it.
Flag hoisting to the sounds of the Estonian anthem
Estonian Male Choir Association male choirs and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Hanno Põldmäe
Speech by the President of the Riigikogu Eiki Nestor
“Eesti Lipp”
Music by Enn Võrk, lyrics by Martin Lipp
Estonian Male Choir Association male choirs and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Peeter Perens
Speech by Tallinn Secondary School of Science final year student Mathias Kübar
“Jää vabaks, Eesti meri”
Music and lyrics by Viktor Konstantin Oxford
Estonian Male Choir Association male choirs and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Indrek Vijard
Words of blessing by EELC Archbishop Urmas Viilma
“Hoia, Jumal, Eestit”
Music by Juhan Aavik, lyrics by Aleksander Leopold Raudkepp
Estonian Male Choir Association male choirs and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Ants Soots
Estonian Declaration of Independence, read by fourth year student of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, winner of Voldemar Panso Prize Priit Põldma
“Kodumaa”
March for brass band by Raimund Kull
Estonian Police and Border Guard Orchestra
Conductor Hanno Põldmäe
Approximate end of the ceremony 8.10 a.m.
The ceremony is followed by an informal celebration together with the Estonian Folk Dance and Folk Music Association. You can brush up on your dancing skills with Folk Culture Society Koidupuna, Pelgulinn Community Centre mixed folk dance group Tontar, Folk Dance Society Pääsuke, Tallinn French School dance group Leesikad, Folklore Society Leigarid, and Saku Recreation Centre group Kohevad ja Tugevad.
Fotod: Estonia 100. Flag hoisting ceremony on February 24 (Riigkogu fotoarhiiv/Erik Peinar)
NordenBladet – The series of 44 books on a wide range of different topics will eventually provide a broad overview of the first century of Estonian statehood. The first two books revisit the history of the Estonian state and were written by historian and former Prime Minister Mart Laar, and historian Toomas Hiio.
“Writing this book it felt like we’d need at least one hundred books to write down the one-hundred years of history of the Republic of Estonia. Fortunately we were able to fit this story ranging from the birth of the Estonian national movement to the creation of an independent country into two books,” Laar said.
The first book traces the events that led to the Declaration of Independence on Feb. 24, 1918, continues on with the Estonian War of Independence that followed shortly after, the growing pains of a young state, and the years that followed during which the Republic of Estonia was built as a 20th-century state.
Featured image: The first book was introduced on Feb. 19, 43 more will follow, to be published in 2018 and 2019 (Riigikantselei) Source: News.err.ee
