TEN Index
June 1-15, 1996, Vol. 2, No. 11
Transboundary News
RIGA-TALLINN-VILNIUS -- BALTIC STATE LEADERS HAVE SEVERELY CRITICIZED a proposed agreement between Russia and the United States for Russians to station 600 armored vehicles in the Pskov region at Russia's border with Estonia and Latvia, in place of the 180 vehicles there at present. The desire of Russia to increase its forces in this area is considered to be a counter measure to NATO expansion. Russia, as a result of the proposed agreement, would be allowed to station arms at its boundaries with the Baltic and Nordic states in 5 times higher numbers than the conventional arms agreements allow. (June 6 and 11, ELTA)
MOSCOW-TALLINN -- THE DECISION TO SELL TO UNOFFICIAL RUSSIAN ORGANIZATIONS rubles collected by Estonia during the 1992 monetary reform was justified, according to testimony by the former bank governor and incumbent foreign minister Siim Kallas in court on June 10. "The monetary reform committee had dictatorial powers," Mr Kallas told the court, explaining how the sale could have taken place without public knowledge. The central bank of Estonia has been in the spotlight since the press learned about the secret of 2.26 billion rubles to an unknown buyer to Russia in winter 1992-1993. Russian authorities have recently accused Estonia of selling those rubles to separatist organizations in Chechnya. (10 June, ETA)
MOSCOW-TARTU -- THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY HAS OFFICIALLY OPENED its consular office in Tartu and is beginning to issue visas to residents of southern Estonia and offer other consular services. The Estonian Foreign Ministry in April granted a permit to Russian Embassy to open its consular office in Tartu. The Tartu city government had applied already three years ago to the Foreign Ministry for a permit to open the Russian consular office in Tartu. The permit was postponed because of tensions in Estonian-Russian relations, according to Madis Lepajoe of the Tartu city government. The Finnish Embassy office in Tartu has been operating since 1992. (5 June, ETA)
RIGA-TALLINN-VILNIUS --THE BALTIC TRANSIT TREATY came into effect on June 12. Under the treaty, all three Baltic nations must recognize each others' customs documents accompanying transit shipments. It is the first step in creating a unified customs transit system in the Baltic states. The new agreement simplifies and unifies customs documents and procedures which differed considerably until now at the borders of the three Baltic states. (12 June, Aripaev)
TALLINN-NARVA -- THE ESTONIAN PARLIAMENT HAS GRANTED THE ESTONIAN GOVERNMENT a permit to accept a 16 million ECU loan with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance renovation work of Tallinn-Narva railway route. Finance Minister Mart Opmann said that according to the development plan of RE Estonian Railways this money will be used to finance building of a new 38 km part of the route and 20 km will undergo capital repairs. Mr Opmann said that this was a vital investment as this transit route was extremely important for the Estonian state. The loan will have to be paid back over 18 years. (11 June, ETA)
WESTERN ESTONIA -- ONE OF THE LARGEST SWEDISH CONSULTATION COMPANIES SCANDIACONSULT is seeking to establish regular ferry traffic between the Estonian mainland and large islands near the west coast. Scandiaconsult won the international PHARE competition to carry out the project "Sea Connections of Western Estonia." The project seeks better ways for keeping the large islands - mainly Saaremaa and Hiiumaa - in touch with Estonia's mainland and the other countries of the Baltic Sea. Its another aim is to find the ports and areas to be developed. The European Union has allocated 120,000 ECU for the project. (5 June, ETA)
LATVIA -- THE LATVIAN GOVERNMENT HAS MADE CHANGES IN ITS VISA REQUIREMENTS to make it easier for foreign tourists to visit the country's resorts this summer. Under the new system, foreign tourists will be able to visit Latvian resorts, located at Yurmala on the coast of the Bay of Riga in the Baltic Sea, by obtaining a tourist visa, and not an official invitation as in the past. In addition, tourists will be able to receive visas not only at the diplomatic and consular missions of Latvia abroad, but also at the Riga airport. During the 1980s, the population of Yurmala, which today is 50,000, rose to one-half a million in summers with tourists visiting from throughout the former Soviet Union. (11 June, IPS/CEE)
HELSINKI-TALLINN -- VISA-FREE TRAVEL BETWEEN ESTONIA AND FINLAND should come into force at the beginning of 1997, according to new Finnish Ambassador in Estonia Pekka Arturi Oinonen told Estonian Premier Tiit Vahi. The ambassador said just a few technical issues needed to be solved. He noted that the Finnish Embassy in Estonia would move to its new building at Toompea this autumn. Toompea, dominating Tallinn's Old Town from the top of a hill, is the center of Estonian parliament and government. (7 June, ETA)
Environmental News
ST PETERSBURG -- ALEXANDER NIKITIN WILL BE JUDGED BY A MILITARY COURT and not by a civilian court, according to a recent decision by a city court. Mr Nikitin has been accused of revealing state military secrets in his work on an environmental report on the damage caused by the Northern Fleet. His lawyer has issued an official protest against the decision for him to be judged by a non-civilian court. Mr Nikitin was working for the Norwegian independent environmental association Bellona when he was arrested at the beginning of the year. (1 June, Nevskoe Vremiia)
LATVIA -- A SEVERE FALL IN THE WATER LEVEL IN THE DAUGAVA RIVER will cause Estonia's energy export to Latvia to soar in the third quarter of this year. The Daugava River has seen a 42-day spell of sunny weather and Latvian hydroelectric stations are incapable of producing energy in sufficient amounts. The export of Estonian electric energy to Latvia rose 2.5 times in the third quarter, as compared to the second quarter. According to the purchase agreement of electric energy, signed on Friday in Riga, Latvia buys 160 million kWh of Estonian electric energy in the third quarter (68 million kWh in the second). Latvia will likely buy another 290 million kWh from Lithuania and 400 million kWh from Russia. (10 June, Sonumileht)
VILNIUS -- THE LITHUANIAN PARLIAMENT HAS RATIFIED THE BERNE CONVENTION, the European Agreement on Wild Nature and Natural Environment Protection. Lithuanian Minister of the Environment Bronius Bradauskas said ratification of this document was a significant step for Lithuania in its integration into European Union environmental structures. The Berne Convention came into force on July 1, 1982. It has been signed by 31 European states and European Union and is an important international agreement for the preservation of nature, wild vegetation, and rare animals. (11 June, ELTA)
ST PETERSBURG -THE HIGH-WATER PROTECTIVE DAM BUILT outside of the city has not resulted in a significant deterioration of the water quality of the Gulf of Finland in comparison with the quality of the water before the dam was built, concluded the English environmental consulting firm GIMM. The results of the study were presented to city journalists at a press conference organized by the NGO Green Cross on June 5, the International Day of the Environment. The study was financed by the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction. The construction of the dam has been the target of serious criticism from both local and international environmental organizations. (10 June, Smena)
IGNALINA POWER PLANT, LITHUANIA -- A NUCLEAR FUEL STORAGE FACILITY IS PLANNED at the Ignalina power plant and will be financed by Ontario Hydro Company together with tenders from Canadian AECL and German GNB companies. Spent nuclear fuel in Ignalina is stored today in underwater reservoirs situated under the plant reactors. The reservoirs will soon be full. The Ontario Hydro director for Eastern Europe, John Kieran, said his company already worked with Ignalina power plant, including the implementation of a program related to quality management at the station. (11 June, ELTA)
VILNIUS -- THE ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT TO LITHUANIAN FORESTS is serious today, but not catastrophic, said Forestry Minister Albertas Vasiliauskas at a news conference. Up to 3,000-3,200 cubic meters of wood have been felled annually in Lithuania's forests since 1961, whereas the maximum possible output could reach 5,000 cubic meters without a harm to the forest resources, he said. A 1.5-fold increase in wood production, followed by its export, is expected over the course of the next five years. He described new plans to build a new modern pulp mill in Lithuania to produce about 300 thousand tons of pulp per year, which would satisfy Lithuania's own demand and allow exports of about 100 thousand tons. (5 June, ELTA)
TALLINN -- A RADIATION VAN HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ESTONIAN CUSTOMS by the U.S. Customs Board. The van is equipped with technology capable of detecting radiation and X-rays. Its purpose is to hinder and detect smuggling of radioactive substances, including nuclear weapons. The van is also capable of detecting explosives, plastic explosives and drugs. A conveyer strip inside the van allows it to look through 1,500 pieces of baggage an hour. The vans have been constructed for the use by the U.S. Customs Board at a cost of 250,000 U.S. dollars each. The new van will be located in the southern Estonian town of Voru and will be mainly used on the Russian border. (7 June, ETA)
TALLINN -- HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM TALLINN'S CENTER by the city municipal council. The main argument against such buildings is the need to preserve the historic skyline of Estonia's capital, as the Old Town would lose its attractiveness in the middle of high-rise blocks. The decision spells the end to several business plans. The council had recently received several draft projects of high-rise buildings to Tallinn's center, including the so-called Viru II beside the current Viru Hotel, The World Trade Center to the territory of RET, the Union Bank HQs to Tartu Road, and an annex to the Art University building. (13 June, ETA)
Conferences, Events, and Meetings
RIGA -- THE BALTIC SEA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION held its annual conference of the Association on June 4. The Association's conference was attended by 43 representatives from ten nations. The conference evaluated problems associated with the business development in the nations of the Baltic Sea region. The Association agreed to develop an information exchange network to gain access to the latest developments in legislation, Customs' requirements, business opportunities, and exhibitions. The network is expected to come into operation later this year. (5 June, LETA)
VILNIUS -- A NEW AGREEMENT ON UNCONTROLLED MIGRATION to improve the exchange of information and develop a new immigration policy has been signed by the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) of Lithuania. The ICMPD is to assist the Lithuanian interior ministry to be in close contact with other states and international organizations and to provide information about ICMPD publications. More than two thousand illegal migrants were detained in the custodies of Lithuanian towns and districts in 1995, and half a million litas were taken from Interior Ministry budget to support the migrants detained. (5 June, ELTA)
RIGA -- A 15-MEMBER DELEGATION FROM THE ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION arrived in the city to develop a report on the economic development of Latvia for the organization. During their two-day visit, the delegation visited the town of Limbazi, the Ministries of Economics, and Agriculture, the rail road rolling stock manufacturer RIGAS VAGONU RUPNICA, the Latvia Development Agency, and Latvia's University of Agriculture in the City of Jelgava. A press conference was held at the Rigas Vagonu Rupnica plant at the end of the visit. (5 June, LETA)
TALLINN -- ESTONIAN BORDER GUARD VESSELS ARRIVED IN ST PETERSBURG after sea rescue exercises named "Exercise Complagg", in which Estonia, Finland and Russia took part in the eastern part of the Finnish Bay. The Estonian vessels Kou and Pikker were received in St Petersburg with an official military ceremony. During the two- day visit, several joint exercises of crews of Estonian and Russian borderguard vessels took place. The Estonian ships were open to visitors in St Petersburg. It was the first visit of Estonian armed vessels to Russia. (5 June, SPb Vedomosti)
ST PETERSBURG -- THE NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION "NORDEN" has been established in order to increase cultural, educational, and environmental contacts throughout northwestern Russia, and including Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The non- commercial organization has been founded by representatives of the Leningrad Oblast government, the Museum of History, the Museum of Anthropology, Tveruniversalbank, and the newspaper Delovoi Peterburg. The organization seeks to organize the active exchange of specialists between Russia and those countries. Two programs which Norden plans in the near future are the "Days of Sweden" and "Weeks of Finland". (13 June, Chas Pik)
TALLINN -- A NEW LAW ON NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS has been promulgated by Estonian President Lennart Meri. The Estonian Parliament had originally adopted the law on February 21, after which President refused to promulgate it, finding contradictions with the constitution. The Supreme Court had to pass its judgement, ruling that the law was indeed unconstitutional. President Meri had found the law to contradict Estonian Constitution and the U.N. convention on rights of children. A non-profit organization is defined in the legislation as a voluntary organization of people, the main activity of which cannot be economic gain. (14 June, ETA)
ST PETERSBURG -- A FINNISH BUSINESS INFORMATION HOTLINE HAS BEEN OPENED in the city for Russian businessmen who seek information about Finnish partners at no charge. The information service has information about 1,000 Finnish firms, although that number is to be increased to 5,000 in the near future. Finnish firms pay a small fee to be included in the information hotline's listings. (11 June, Delovoi Peterburg)
ST PETERSBURG -- A NORWEGIAN CULTURAL PROGRAM included several concerts of choir and orchestral music became a highly visible part of the Month of European Culture which began in the city in mid-May. A Norwegian artists' exhibit was organized at the Nevskii Palace Hotel. The Norwegian General Consulate in the city played an important role in organizing all of the events of the Norwegian program. (1 June, Chas Pik)
VARSKA, ESTONIA -- ESTONIAN, FINNISH, LATVIAN AND RUSSIAN BORDER GUARDS PARTICIPATED in an orienteering competition in the Estonian-Russian border region of Varska. Twenty-three teams from the four countries participated in the competition. It was the second year such a competition has been held. (7 June, Chas Pik)
RIGA -- AN INTERNET SEMINAR on the marketing uses of the Internet was attended by more than 200 businessmen in the city. The seminar was organized by the U.S. Information Agency. The U.S. Embassy in Riga has expressed its hope that the number of businesses utilizing the Internet in Latvia will increase in the near future. (6 June, LETA)
New Facts and Statistics
TALLINN -- THE TALLINN STOCK EXCHANGE CAN NOW BE CONTACTED ON THE INTERNET. Trading at the Tallinn Stock Exchange can now be followed in real time in Internet on the homepage of the Estonian Securities Central Depository at http:/www.depo.ee. The homepage currently covers information on the securities market, highest selling and purchase prices, and transactions which have been made. Readers can also see the quotations of different brokers and stock exchange regulations and statistics. (6 June, ETA)
TALLINN -- ESTONIAN NEWSPAPER CIRCULATIONS (in thousands)
DAILIES Workdays Weekends
Postimees 59.4 61.2
Eesti Paevaleht 35.0 35.0
Sonumileht 30.5 30.0
Parnu Postimees 17.6 18.2
Pohjarannik 14.9 21.1
Aripaev 14.8 14.8
WEEKLIES
Eesti Ekspress 53.7
Televisioonileht 52.3
Maaleht 42.6
Teleleht 40.0
(ETA)
TEN Index