Estonian President Draws Russia Line

This conciliatory gesture comes after the president"s unsuccessful visit to Russia, during which the Estonian delegation walked out of the Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples in Khanty-Mansiisk.

The president"s visit, which ended Monday, was the topic of mush comment in Tallinn, not only for his gesture in Khanty-Mansiisk, but also for his wife Evelin"s dress when they visited the residence of Orthodox Patriarch Alexiy II. She wore a skirt that exposed her knees and did not cover her head. On Tuesday evening, Ilves gave a long interview to Estonian television in which he vigorous defended his trip to Russia.

He said the Estonian delegation"s exit from the Finno-Ugric Congress was nothing more than an annoying incident. He said that was a "good constructive atmosphere" at his meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, at which it became clear that Russia considers reaching a border treaty a necessity for good relations.

The border treaty was signed by the Russian and Estonian foreign ministers in Moscow in May 2005. The treaty was originally to be ratified without addenda, but the Estonian parliament, after the treaty had been approved by the Estonian government, added a reference to the 1920 treaty between Estonia and the Russian SFSR, no longer in force, in which parts of Leningrad and Pskov Regions were included in Estonia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry withdrew its signature in response. Chairman of rhe Russian State Duma International Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev, Ilves" main opponent at the Finno-Ugric Congress, expressed satisfaction with the Estonian President"s remarks. It would be nice if our colleagues in the Estonian parliament supported the head of state"s business disposition," he commented.

Source http://kommersant.com/p908622/r_527/russian-estonian_relatio~

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