Eesti suhted naabritega - Välisministeerium

2003 EESTI SUHTED NAABRITEGA • ESTONIA`S RELATIONS WITH ITS NEIGHBOURS
Mikhail Margelov, Chairman of the Russian Federation
Council's Foreign Affairs Committee, emphasises
the importance of signing the Estonian-Russian
border treaty as the lack of the treaty "considerably
hinders the progress of trans-borderco-operation". In
replying to the remark that the signing of the border
treaty is directly connected to Russia's concern for
the situation of Russian-speaking populations, he
declares: "Work experience on the border treaty with
Lithuania showed that making the issue of safeguarding
the rights of Russian-speaking population
into retaliation is really not the most productive idea.
It is necessary to protect the rights of Russianspeakers,
but there are other measures for that – the
same said European structures." (Izvestija, 22.07)
MIHHAIL MARGELOV, MARKO MIHKELSON – TÕDE OTSIMAS
MIKHAIL MARGELOV, MARKO MIHKELSON – SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH
tingitud pigem Eesti liitumisest ELi ja NATOga.
Igal juhul peab Moskva juba lähiajal suhted
Eestiga ümber hindama ja suunama need
hoopis teistele alustele.
(Rossiiskaja Gazeta, 21.04)
Venemaa peab saavutama Eesti usalduse, sest
sel väiksel riigil on negatiivne ajalooline kogemus.
Mõne aastakümne pärast on Eestis uus
põlvkond, ELi kodanikud, kes teevad edukalt
Venemaaga koostööd ning Eesti president võib
endale lubada uue Venemaa parlamendi ees
vene keeles esinemist. Seni peaks aga Moskva
mõtlema, mida ta on teinud Tallinna usalduse
võitmiseks. (Politcom.ru, 14.02)
Eestist saab ELi uus piiririik,
millel ühine piir Venemaaga.
Uued liikmed toovad endaga
hoopis teistsuguse nägemuse
maailmast, mis neist itta jääb.
"Vanad [ELi] liikmed muretsevad uute
russofoobsete naabrite pärast," sõnab endine
Eesti välisminister Toomas Hendrik Ilves. "Kuid
me ei ole russofoobid. Meil on lihtsalt
realistlikud vaated." On loomulik, et riikidel,
nagu Eesti, Läti ja Leedu, on endisest valitsejast
teatud kinnisideed. Kartus kaotada raskesti
The only branch of the Estonian economy in which
Russia plays a major role is in the transit of goods via
Estonian ports. Even here Moscow attempts to play
political games – according to Mikhail Bronstein, a
member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, transit
through the Baltic ports promised to allow Russia to
save annually up to 10 billion dollars in capital
investments and 500 million dollars on current
expenses. By applying sanctions to Estonia, Russia
has on its own minimised its political and economic
influence on Estonia and advanced the lowering of
living standards of the Russian-speaking population.
As of late, changes can be seen in Russia's policy
towards Estonia, but these have been initiated because
of Estonia's upcoming EU and NATO membership.
In any case Moscow has to re-evaluate its
relations with Estonia and redirect them towards
other foundations in the nearest future.
(Rossiiskaja Gazeta, 21.04)
Russia has to gain Estonia's trust, for this tiny country
has a negative historical experience. In a few
decades Estonia will have a new generation of citizens
who will be European Union citizens, who will
successfully co-operate with Russia and then the
President of Estonia will be able to speak in Russian
in the Russian parliament. Until that time, Moscow
should reflect on what it has done to win the trust
of Tallinn. (Politcom.ru, 14.02)
Estonia will become a new
frontier country of the EU with
a common border with Russia.
New members will bring a
totally different vision of the
world lying to the east.
"Old [EU] members are already concerned about
new Russiophobic neighbours," Toomas Hendrik
Ilves, former Minister of Foreign Affairs admits. "But
we are not Russiophobes. We merely have realistic
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