ESTONIA

The delegation of the Verkhovna Rada and Zhytomyr Region visits Estonia

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniyenko and the delegation of the members of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine, and representatives of the local governments and businesses of Zhytomyr Region is on a visit to Tallinn.

On Sunday, the 22-member Ukrainian delegation visits the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, e-Estonia Briefing Centre, NGO Slava Ukraini and the cruise ferry M/S Isabelle that provides accommodation to war refugees from Ukraine. They also attend a ceremony in Tallinn Town Hall, where Chairman of Tallinn City Council Jevgeni Ossinovski presents Korniyenko Tallinn City Decoration of Honour awarded to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a special tribute from the city. In the evening, the Ukrainian delegation will attend the dinner hosted by President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas.

On Monday, the Ukrainian delegation will have meetings at the Riigikogu with Jüri Ratas and the Estonia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, as well as with Minister of Culture Tiit Terik, Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet, Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt and Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas. The Ukrainian delegation will also meet with the representatives of the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Estonian Centre for International Development, and the cyber security company CybExer.

Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Korniyenko will leave Estonia on Monday evening. On Tuesday, other members of the Ukrainian delegation will visit the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities, Muuga Kindergarten and the Estonian Woodhouse Association, and have meetings with the Estonian entrepreneurs and Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets.

Together with Korniyenko, the Ukrainian delegation includes five members of the Verkhovna Rada. Other members of the delegation are representatives of the local governments and businesses of Zhytomyr Region. During the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war, Estonia will focus on assisting this region.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Ratas discussed Ukraine’s EU perspective with President of the European Parliament

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas met with the President of European Parliament Roberta Metsola today in Tallinn to discuss giving Ukraine a quick and clear perspective for joining the European Union.

Estonia supports giving Ukraine the status of an EU candidate country as soon as possible. “Ukraine deserves a clear EU accession perspective. By making Ukraine a candidate country, the European Union would send a strong political message,” he said.

Ratas and Metsola discussed the options of the European Union and the Member States to offer even more military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and increase economic pressure on Russia.

They also talked about post-war rebuilding of Ukraine and the need to coordinate the relevant help. Estonia is ready to put a long-term focus on rebuilding Zhytomyr Oblast after the war. On Sunday, a delegation of Ukrainian MPs, local government representatives, and businessmen is arriving to Estonia to discuss the needs for help.

Photos of the meeting (Author: Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Ratas confirmed willingness to contribute to post-war rebuilding of Ukraine

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas met the Deputy Chair of the Ukrainian parliament Olena Kondratiuk, pledging Estonia’s strong support and readiness to contribute in the long term to the post-war rebuilding of Ukraine.

Ratas promised that Estonia would continue to offer every possible support to Ukraine and do everything to encourage our partners to also continue providing military, economic, and political aid. “Estonia’s role is to intensify its efforts to urge other countries to offer more help to Ukraine as well – in the shape of actions rather than words,” he said.

Concerning the post-war rebuilding of Ukraine, Estonia is planning to focus particularly on Zhytomyr Oblast. Estonia is also a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. “Estonia strongly encourages giving Ukraine the status of a European Union candidate country, and we are doing our best to move the process along as quickly as possible,” he said.

Kondratiuk addressed the Riigikogu at the beginning of the sitting and will meet the members of the Estonia-Ukraine parliamentary group later today. She will also meet with President Alar Karis, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo, Minister of Health and Labour Tanel Kiik, and leadership of the Ukrainian community. The Deputy Chair of the Ukrainian parliament will also visit the passenger ferry M/S Isabelle which is used to house Ukrainian war refugees.

Photos of the visit (Author: Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Foreign Affairs Committee discusses supporting Ukraine in the Netherlands

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) visiting the Netherlands will speak about continuing support to Ukraine in the war with Russia at the meetings in the Parliament of the Netherlands, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Criminal Court (ICC) today. Among other things, investigating the crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine and supporting Ukraine on its path of joining the European Union will be discussed.

Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said that the main topic of all meetings held in the Netherlands would be giving even stronger military, economic and political support to Ukraine to help the country win the war with Russia. “Ukraine is fighting for the whole Europe. We will certainly discuss with our colleagues how to help Ukraine also on their path to the European Union,” he added.

In the International Criminal Court (ICC), the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee will meet with President of the Court Piotr Hofmański, Prosecutor of the Court Karim Khan and Deputy Prosecutor Mandiaye Niang, with whom they will discuss investigating Russia’s crimes against international law, and the activities of the Criminal Court. “The brutal and systematic crimes of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide crimes committed in Ukraine must be documented in international cooperation, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice and prosecuted. Estonia will support the ICC’s investigation and collection of evidence in every way, and we will also be sending our experts to the region,” Mihkelson said.

Besides meetings in the Parliament of the Netherlands and the International Criminal Court, the delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee also plans to have meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies.

The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee is accompanied on the visit by members of the Committee Ruuben Kaalep, Mihhail Lotman, Mailis Reps and Indrek Saar.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Deputy Chair of Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratiuk visits Estonia

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine will visit Estonia. On Thursday, she will meet with the state leaders of Estonia and make an address to the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia).

Kondratiuk will deliver her address at the sitting of the Riigikogu which will start at 10 a.m. on Thursday. She will have meetings with President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas and members of the Estonia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group.

During her visit, the Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada will also meet with President Alar Karis, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo and Minister of Health and Labour Tanel Kiik. Kondratiuk will visit the passenger ship Isabelle that provides accommodation to war refugees from Ukraine and will meet with the head of the Ukrainian community in Estonia.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Riigikogu discussed use of privatisation proceeds

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

At its today’s sitting, the Riigikogu discussed whether the owners of restituted historical buildings that have not been classified as architectural monuments but are located in heritage conservation areas should also have the possibility to apply for support allocated from the ownership reform reserve fund. However, it was decided to reject the relevant Bill.

The Bill on Amendments to the Use of Privatisation Proceeds Act (538 SE), initiated by Faction Isamaa, would have provided for the use of privatisation proceeds for the maintenance, repair, conservation, restauration and renovation of buildings that were restituted in the course of the ownership reform and are located in heritage conservation areas.

It was pointed out in the explanatory memorandum of the Bill that there are 12 heritage conservation areas in Estonia, and with the exception of Rebala Heritage Reserve, they are all located in historic town centres, in Tallinn, Valga, Tartu, Pärnu, Võru, Paide, Viljandi, Kuressaare, Rakvere, Haapsalu and Lihula. The explanatory memorandum noted that the same restrictions and environmental requirements apply to the renovation of buildings located in heritage conservation areas as for architectural monuments, but the owners of restituted buildings located in heritage conservation areas cannot apply for the support allocated from the ownership reform reserve fund if the building is not classified as a cultural monument.

The explanatory memorandum also underlined the need to find flexible additional possibilities for the preservation of valuable architectural heritage. The Bill did not provide for increasing the allocations from the ownership reform reserve fund for restoration of restituted architectural monuments.

During the debate, Marika Tuus-Laul from the Centre Party Faction, Jaak Juske from the Social Democratic Party Faction and Tarmo Kruusimäe from Faction Isamaa took the floor.

The lead committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 36 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 17 voted against. Thus, the motion was supported and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings of the Riigikogu.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording of the sitting will be available on Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Foreign Affairs Committee is on a visit to Sweden

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

On Wednesday and Thursday, the delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) is on a visit to Sweden, where they will discuss the security situation and strengthening of security cooperation.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said that the main topics of the discussions held in the Parliament as well as in the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden would be the security situation and the decisions relating to it. “The meetings will focus on the question of what more we can do to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. Helping Ukraine to victory is our most important task at the moment,” he added.

The cooperation between Estonia and Sweden and strengthening it also at the parliamentary level will be discussed at the meetings. Another important issue that will be spoken about is the debate on NATO membership, which involves all parliamentary parties in Sweden. “The debate held in recent weeks over Sweden’s possible accession to NATO shows how Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has had a significant impact on security in the Baltic Sea region,” Mihkelson said.

On Wednesday, the delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee will meet with Speaker of the Riksdag (Parliament) of Sweden Andreas Norlén and members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Defence of the Riksdag and the delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly. On Thursday, the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee will have meetings with Minister of Defence of Sweden Peter Hultqvist and Director of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs Jakob Hallgren. The delegation will also have a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The members of the Riigikogu will speak about the activities of the Estonians living in Sweden with Chair of the Association of Estonians in Sweden Sirle Sööt.

The visit will last until Thursday evening. The delegation includes Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, Deputy Chairman Raivo Tamm and members of the Committee Henn Põlluaas, Valdo Randpere, Mailis Reps and Indrek Saar.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Exhibition “Under the North Star – Estonian Volunteers in the Battle of Narvik 1940” in the Riigikogu

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

An exhibition about the twelve Estonian volunteers who together with the Brits, Frenchmen and Poles went to help the Norwegians to defend the freedom of Norway in April 1940 and took part in the battles under Narvik when Germany attacked Norway, was opened in the lobby of the Riigikogu Building.

President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas said that it was necessary to recall this little-known fact from decades ago here at Toompea, because the Estonians had always been ready to fight against aggression.

“It is necessary to acknowledge the academic research paper “Norwegian Boys. Estonian Volunteers in the Battle of Narvik 1940” by historian Peep Pillak, which is based on the archive documents, historical research and memories,” Ratas noted. He said that the diary Gustav Adolf Lepik kept during the war, the letters Arnold Soinla sent home from Finland and Norway, and the memoirs of August Nirk have been published as annexes of the paper. Unfortunately, one of the Estonian soldiers, Arnold Soinla, perished in the Battle of Narvik in North Norway as the first Estonian who fell in World War II.

The joint exhibition of Norway and Estonia “Under the North Star – Estonian Volunteers in the Battle of Narvik 1940” was first opened in the Narvik War and Peace Centre in autumn 2018, and later that year, the Estonian and English language version of the exhibition was opened in the Estonian War Museum, where also a conference on the same topic was held with the participation of Norwegian and Estonian historians. The exhibition has also been shown in the 1st Infantry Brigade at Tapa, where the NATO allied forces are based, at the Baltic Defence College in Tartu and at the Estonian Defence League Headquarters in Tallinn.

The exhibition consists of 11 stands, which give an overview of Norway in World War; the Polish submarine Orzel that had connections with Estonia, Great Britain and Norway in World War II; the Winter War in Finland and the volunteers who participated in it, focusing on the Estonian volunteers in the military unit Sisu; the journey of twelve Estonian volunteers from Finland to Norway after the end of the Winter War and their participation in the battles under Narvik, with a special focus on the attack on Lillebalak, where Arnold Soinla was killed and two men were wounded. Information about the further fate of the Estonian volunteers who fought in Norway is also given.

The exhibition was put together by Hege B. Grundekjøn (Norwegian-Estonian Association), Ulf Eirik Torgersen and Gaute Rønnebu (Narvik War and Peace Centre), and Peep Pillak (Estonian Heritage Society). One of the exhibits is a mannequin dressed in the wartime uniform of a Norwegian soldier, with a greatcoat and a backpack. The diary kept by Gustav Adolf Lepik during the campaign in Norway and the letters of Arnold Soinla, the originals of which are in the Estonian War Museum, can also be seen at the exhibition.

The opening of the exhibition was also attended by Minister of Defence of Norway Bjørn Arild Gram, who later met with the members of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu.

The exhibition was organised by the Embassy of Norway in Estonia in cooperation with the Chancellery of the Riigikogu.

Photos:

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Raivo Tamm was elected Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The Foreign Affairs Committee re-elected Marko Mihkelson from the Reform Party faction as its Chairman and Raivo Tamm from Faction Isamaa as its Deputy Chairman.

The extraordinary elections of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman were necessary because of the resignation of the previous Deputy Chairman Mihhail Lotman.

In addition to Mihkelson, Tamm and Lotman, the Foreign Affairs Committee are Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski, Ruuben Kaalep, Eerik-Niiles Kross, Anneli Ott, Henn Põlluaas, Valdo Randpere, Mailis Reps, and Indrek Saar.

Photos of the sitting (Author: Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Riigikogu delegation attends the last sitting of the Plenary Session of the Conference on the Future of Europe

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Members of the European Union Affairs Committee Oudekki Loone, Anti Poolamets, and Riina Sikkut are attending the Conference on the Future of Europe, which is held today and tomorrow in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Chairman of the Committee Siim Kallas is attending remotely.

The goal of the plenary sitting is to approve the proposals that have been discussed in depth in the Working Groups. This time, the emphasis is on the meetings of the component groups, i.e., the groups of the European Parliament, national parliaments, the European Commission, and the Council of the European Union, to achieve consensus on all the proposals of the Working Groups.

The proposals on nine topics are based on suggestions from the citizens: stronger economy, social justice and jobs; education, culture, youth and sport; digital transformation; European democracy; values and rights, rule of law and security; climate change and the environment; health; EU in the world; and migration.

After the sitting, the plan is to draft the conclusions report which should also include the approved proposals. The intention is to present the final report to the Presidents of the Council, the Commission, and the European Parliament during the formal final event of the Conference on 9 May in Strasbourg. After this, the three institutions must decide the steps to be taken to implement the proposals.

The Conference on the Future of Europe is a citizens-led series of debates and discussions that enable people from across Europe to share their ideas and help shape our common future. This takes place on a multilingual digital platform where every European citizen can share their ideas through national as well as European citizens’ panels. The conclusions of the discussions are explored at the Plenary Session of the Conference. The Conference as a public forum offers an opportunity to engage in an open, inclusive, and transparent discussion with the citizens on a variety of priorities and problems.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

1...929394...163Page 93 of 163