“It is a priority for Estonia to support Ukraine every way we can in its path towards European Union accession. We are more than ready to share our parliamentary experiences in carrying out the necessary reforms,” Hussar declared. He emphasised that Ukraine belonged to Europe.
“Estonia is a firm ally of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, in order to ensure Ukraine’s victory and national sovereignty,” Hussar said. He added that when the speakers of six countries neighbouring Russia met recently in Tartu, they also stressed the need for continuing every possible support to Ukraine.
Koval thanked Estonia for its help in fighting against Russia’s aggression. “We are very grateful for that,” Koval said.
He pointed out that Estonia was a critical partner for Ukraine in connection with the EU integration process, where Estonia’s own experiences of accession negotiations were extremely valuable for Ukraine.
Koval described the situation of agriculture in Ukraine and its challenges. During his visit to Estonia, a strategic partnership action plan for enhancing cooperation was signed between the Estonian Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture and the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food. “This document allows new developmental direction and cooperation points to be identified both bilaterally as well as on the EU level on the strength of Estonia’s experiences,” Koval said.
Also present at the meeting were the Ukrainian Deputy Minister Oksana Osmachko and the Estonian Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Piret Hartman.
Chairman of the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group Kristo Enn Vaga said that Taiwanese companies Motex and Kangjian donated 1.11 million medical masks to Ukrainian health care institutions and units of the Ukrainian Defence Forces at a mask donation ceremony held in Taiwan. The masks will be sent to Estonia, and the Chairman of the Support Group will be responsible for their delivery to Ukraine. “All assistance to Ukraine is critical. Medical supplies such as masks are especially valuable as the burden on hospitals in Ukraine is overwhelming and any extra help can help save lives,” Kristo Enn Vaga explained.
Vaga added that Taiwan has also contributed to Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts in partnership with Estonia. In June last year, the Estonian Centre for International Development ESTDEV received 1.1 million euros from the Taipei Mission in Latvia for the construction of family homes in Ukraine. “Taiwan’s slogan “Taiwan can help, and Taiwan is helping!” is very powerful and shows that Estonia is in a very similar value space with Taiwan,” Kristo Enn Vaga underlined.
The visit of the Estonian defence industry companies to Taiwan takes place on 4–8 February. The head of the delegation is Kristo Enn Vaga, and the delegation consists of member of the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group Kalle Laanet and representatives of Estonia’s defence industry companies Threod Systems, TrackDeep, Semetron and Frankenburg Technologies. The delegation will meet with Vice President of Taiwan Hsiao Bi-khim, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung and Secretary-General of the National Security Council Joseph Wu, and visit the Ministry of Defence of Taiwan. They will also have meetings with the Defence Industry Association, the Asia UAV AI Innovation Application R&D Centre, and several defence industry companies of Taiwan. This is the second visit of the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group of this Riigikogu to Taiwan. The previous visit took place in March 2024. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu visited Taiwan in November.
The Speakers state in the Joint Declaration that Russia’s ongoing brutal aggression against Ukraine represents a major attack on the rules-based international order and demonstrates that the imperialistic ambitions of Russia persist. In their opinion, Russia is currently the most significant, direct, and long-term threat to the security, peace, and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. “Our countries are determined to continue providing political, economic, military, and humanitarian support to Ukraine. We call on international partners to stand with Ukraine in its fight against the Russian aggressor until victory, emphasizing the need for timely and unrestricted delivery of military assistance aligned with Ukraine’s needs,” they say.
The Speakers express their support to the Victory Plan presented by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and are confident that its implementation would establish the necessary conditions for the practical realization of the Peace Formula, which is the only viable framework for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine. They also promise to do their utmost to build a consensus among the Allies to invite Ukraine into NATO, and confirm their commitment to supporting Ukraine on its path to full membership in the European Union. “During the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we look forward to the successful screening process and quick opening of the negotiation clusters,” they say in the Joint Declaration.
The Speakers declare that, together with their partners, they will continue efforts to further limit Russia’s ability to wage war. They emphasise the need to increase pressure through additional sanctions, ensure the full and effective implementation of existing sanctions, and prevent their circumvention. “The preparation of the 16th sanctions package should be expedited, with a focus on cutting Russia’s revenues, targeting energy exports – its main source of income – and restricting access to sensitive goods and technologies,” they underline. “Our countries are determined to hold Russia´s shadow fleet to account, including through sanctions-related measures.”
In the Joint Declaration, the Speakers condemn Russia’s acts of sabotage, disruption of critical infrastructure, cyber and electronic interference, information manipulation, election interference, and other hybrid operations. “Our countries will strengthen cooperation to deter, defend against, and counter Russian hybrid actions, ensuring the resilience and security of our societies and critical infrastructure. To that aim, we will make full use of all means available, considering for instance adopting measures to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats and tightening visa policy towards Russian citizens,” they say.
The Joint Declaration was signed by Lauri Hussar from the Parliament of Estonia, Jussi Halla-aho from the Parliament of Finland, Daiga Mieriņa from the Parliament of Latvia, Saulius Skvernelis from the Parliament of Lithuania, Szymon Hołownia from the Parliament of Poland, and Ruslan Stefanchuk from the Parliament of Ukraine. The Speakers adopted the Joint Declaration at the official meeting held at the University of Tartu.
The meeting of the Speakers will be hosted by President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Lauri Hussar, who said that the Speakers of the parliaments of the Baltic States, Finland and Poland would symbolically come together in Tartu already today, on the 105th anniversary of the Tartu Peace Treaty. The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will also participate in the official meeting tomorrow morning via video bridge. “This month marks 11 years since the start of Russia´s war of aggression and three years since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine The main focus of our meeting is achieving just and lasting peace in Ukraine and in Europe,” Hussar pointed out.
Hussar noted that in order to achieve a just peace, the Western world must now sharpen its focus to support Ukraine in every way in its fight against the aggressor, and do much more by tightening sanctions and enforcing them more effectively to deprive Russia of the economic means to continue the war. The Speakers will also discuss supporting Ukraine on its path towards EU and NATO membership.
Another key issue the Speakers will discuss is Russia’s intensifying hybrid actions, including acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea as well as other hybrid operations that have taken place in recent months. “Parliaments shape the legislative space, and one of the objectives of the meeting of the Speakers is to coordinate the legislative activities of our countries to better protect the Baltic Sea region and our countries against such operations,” Hussar said.
Relations with the United States and the situation in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Belarus will also be discussed at the Speakers’ meeting.
The meeting will be attended by the President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar, Speaker of the Eduskunta of Finland Jussi Halla-aho, Speaker of the Saeima of Latvia Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis, and Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Szymon Hołownia. Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk will participate in the official meeting via video bridge.
The Speakers will adopt a joint declaration and give a joint press conference in the assembly hall of the University of Tartu. After that, the Speakers from the five countries present will hold an public debate with students on achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Opening words will be delivered by Rector of the University of Tartu Toomas Asser, and the discussion will be moderated by Professor of Comparative Politics Piret Ehin.
Programme on Monday, 3 February
8:30 – official meeting of the Speakers at the University of Tartu.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson underlined at the meeting that the events on the battlefield did not provide a basis for negotiating with the aggressor, and it was important to focus on victory instead of sham peace. “We cannot accept Putin as a partner. In doing so, we would legitimise him and the shifting of borders by force. If we focus on peace and negotiations at any cost in Europe, we are already losing. Our focus must be on supporting Ukraine, both in military terms and through joining NATO,” Mihkelson said.
At the video meeting, the parties highlighted the importance of international cooperation, the significance of solidarity between partners and the need to continue to move forward with Ukraine’s NATO membership. They also emphasised the important role of weapons and sanctions in leading Russia to a strategic defeat.
Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Oleksandr Merezhko and members of the Committee Mariya Ionova and Iryna Herashchenko thanked Estonia for its long-time support.
In addition to Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, members of the Committee Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski and Luisa Rõivas also participated in the meeting.
The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to § 5 of the Local Government Council Election Act (530 SE), initiated by Member of the Riigikogu Leo Kunnas. The Bill sought to add a condition to the Act, according to which the citizens of countries that have been declared by the Riigikogu to be a terrorist regime would not be able to vote at local elections. Taking into account that the Riigikogu, in a Statement adopted in October 2022, declared the Russian regime a terrorist regime and the Russian Federation a state sponsor of terrorism, the aim of the Bill was to temporarily suspend the right of Russian citizens to vote at local elections.
In addition to Estonian and EU citizens, the right to participate in local council elections at present extends to aliens who reside in Estonia on the basis of a long-term residence permit or the permanent right of residence, who have attained 16 years of age by the election day and whose permanent place of residence is located in the corresponding rural municipality or city. A Bill amending the Constitution, which seeks to restrict the right to vote at local elections for third-country nationals living in Estonia, is currently in the legislative proceedings of the Riigikogu.
During the debate, Henn Põlluaas took the floor on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group. Igor Taro from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group also made speeches.
The Constitutional Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 41 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and 5 were against it.
The Bill on Amendments to the Aliens Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (streamlining migration proceedings) (548 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. It is intended to update migration proceedings and to strengthen control over migration. The amendment is intended to facilitate settlement in Estonia for aliens who bring greater added value to society as a whole. On the other hand, the aim is to avoid abuse of residence permits and visas and illegal immigration in order to ensure security, public order and national security.
For foreigners and those inviting them to Estonia, including employers and educational institutions, the Bill will create the possibility to communicate with the state electronically and paperlessly, applying the one-stop-shop principle. It will be possible to exchange information between databases via X-Road which will make administration faster and more efficient.
In order to ensure security and to prevent misuse, it is provided that, upon application for a residence permit for the purpose of employment, the employer must be entered in the Estonian commercial register and must prove at least 12 months of actual economic activity in Estonia.
For application for a residence permit, the Bill will establish additional bases for refusal where the applicant is found to be linked to foreign security agencies or power structures. In the future, applications and additional documents cannot be submitted in Russian.
In the case of temporary agency work, for employers, the requirement of a deposit of one month’s remuneration will be replaced by a requirement of 18 months of prior actual economic activity, which will increase employers’ accountability and reduce the risk of abuse of the system. In order to solve bottlenecks, new requirements will be added for application for a residence permit to permanently settle in Estonia, such as mandatory completion of an adaptation programme and at least A2-level Estonian language skills. In the visa procedure, the requirement will be provided that documents issued in a foreign country must be legalized or certified with an apostille, which will guarantee the reliability of the documents submitted.
The Bill will also specify the definition of an alien permanently residing in Estonia, according to which such a person has an Estonian residence permit or right of residence and his or her principal residence is in Estonia.
Upon starting work in growth companies, an expedited procedure for short-term employment will be enabled, which will simplify the engagement of talent. In addition, the activities in Estonia for film crew members participating in the production of films and series will be facilitated.
The explanatory memorandum to the Bill notes that the aim of Estonia’s immigration policy is, on the one hand, to facilitate settlement in Estonia for aliens who bring greater added value to society as a whole, and on the other hand to avoid abuse of residence permits and visas and illegal immigration in order to ensure security, public order and national security. A managed migration policy must ensure the preservation of the Estonian language and culture, take into account Estonia’s integration capability and contribute to the sustainable development of the economy and the growth of competitiveness.
Toomas Uibo from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Bill on the Approval of the Amendments to the Articles of Agreement of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (558 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the first reading. It will approve the amendments to the Articles of Agreement of the bank to remove the current limitations on borrowings of the Bank. This will make the financial management of the Bank more modern and flexible. In the future, the management of the bank’s risks will be decided at the level of shareholders’ representatives, that is, executive directors.
The Bill on Amendments to the Hunting Act (553 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, passed the first reading. Its purpose is to give the Environmental Board the opportunity to organize hunting all year round to prevent damage caused by game. The current Act allows this only outside the hunting season.
If the hunting quota is filled during the hunting season but there is a need to hunt game, the Environmental Board can no longer organize game hunting, including the hunting of problem individuals. To solve this problem, it is proposed to amend the Hunting Act and to give the Environmental Board the right to organise hunting all year round to prevent damage caused by wild game.
Tarmo Tamm from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Tiit Maran from the Social Democratic Party Group and Andres Metsoja from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
On 27 January, the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is observed worldwide to commemorate the mass murder of Jews during the Second World War. This year, the traditional commemoration ceremony was held at the Rahumäe Jewish Cemetery in Tallinn. On this day, the Estonia-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) commemorates the victims of the Holocaust and expresses its full support to the Jewish people around the world, and to the State of Israel, its people and its leaders.
“The terrible tragedy of the Holocaust must not be repeated, even though in recent times it increasingly seems that, 80 years later, the world is starting to forget the horrors that took place in the heart of Europe. We are witnessing more and more frequent manifestations of anti-Semitism not only in the Middle East, but also in Europe, and even in Estonia. Such manifestations must be stopped at the very outset, because it was the smaller manifestations that started the terrible events of the 1930s and 1940s,” the members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group write in their joint statement of condolences.
The members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group also point out that Jewish history is full of painful wounds of stigmatisation and persecution, the most tragic expression of which is the Holocaust. “We must do all we can to remember and commemorate what happened in the 1940s under the leadership of Hitler. We must remember the horrible massacre that took place just a year and a half ago in the Israeli kibbutzim along the Gaza border, in which over 1200 Jews were executed and 250 persons were taken hostage. Some of the hostages have been executed or have died by today, and a large number are still unliberated and suffer inhuman living conditions and persecution. Only by remembering, we can stand firm against the repetition of the horrible events in history. In Estonia, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day has been observed since 2002. The people of Estonia know very well what it means to be repressed and deported, therefore our thoughts are with the Jewish people in every way also in these difficult times for the State of Israel,” they write.
The statement was signed by Chairman of Estonia-Israel Parliamentary Friendship GroupEerik-Niiles Kross and members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Vadim Belobrovtsev, Karmen Joller, Meelis Kiili, Lauri Laats, Riina Solman, Aivar Sõerd, Peeter Tali, Vilja Toomast and Kristo Enn Vaga.
The Speakers of the parliaments of six countries bordering on Russia participate in the meeting that takes place immediately after the 105th anniversary of the Tartu Peace Treaty. The debate will focus on continuing support to Ukraine in the war of aggression launched by Russia, and on Russia’s hybrid activities in Europe. Relations with the United States and the situation in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Belarus will also be discussed.
The Speakers will adopt a joint statement and give a joint press conference in the assembly hall of the University of Tartu. After that, the Speakers from five countries will hold an public debate with students on achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
The meeting of the Speakers will be hosted by President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Lauri Hussar. The meeting will be attended by Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis, Speaker of the Saeima of Latvia Daiga Mieriņa, Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Szymon Hołownia and Speaker of the Eduskunta of Finland Jussi Halla-aho. Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk will participate in the official meeting via video bridge.