Estonia to switch envoy to improve tie

Business daily Kommersant said the Estonian Foreign Ministry is likely to replace Marina Kaljurand with Simmu Tiik, who currently heads the ministry's Eastern Europe Department. The task of the new ambassador is to help reestablish normal relations between Moscow and Tallinn. The preconditions for this are clear. In particular, because Moscow, to all appearances, is also changing its attitude to Baltic countries," the paper said.

Relations between Russia and Estonia, a European Union member since 2004, hit a low-point in April last year after Estonian authorities relocated the Bronze Soldier, a Soviet-era war monument, from central Tallinn and disinterred the remains of soldiers ahead of Victory Day, which is marked on May 9 in Russia. Over 1,000 people were arrested in protests against the move, and one Russian was killed.

During the dispute, the Estonian government accused the Kremlin of orchestrating a series of mass cyber-attacks that disabled the websites of Estonia's parliament, leading banks, ministries, broadcasters and newspapers.

Even radical politicians close to Prime Minister Andrus Ansip have admitted that the conflict following the events of 'bronze night' on April 27, 2007, damaged the country's economy. Going by estimates of the mayor of Tallinn and the leader of the Center Party, Edgar Savisaar, Estonia lost up to 40% of its budget revenue," the paper said. The newspaper said Tiik's appointment will be considered by the government soon.

Source http://en.rian.ru/world/20080402/102815399.html

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