Estonia-Latvian internal security discussions

TALLINN-Estonia s Interior Minister Juri Pihl will meet today with visiting Latvian colleague Mareks Seglins to discuss their plans for internal security. The ministers are going to review the situation in their countries after accession to the visa-free Schengen program as well as preparations for joining the US visa waiver program, the Interior Ministry inTallinnreported. Also on the agenda will be Estonian-Latvian points of contact, rescue cooperation, joint patrolling and compatibility of telecommunication systems. Marek Helm, who coordinates the establishment of a united domestic security agency under the Interior Ministry, is slated to give an overview of the ministry s development and acquaint the visiting Latvian officials with the project to merge the police, border guard and citizenship and migration boards. The head of the ministry s IT, databases and communications department, Hannes Martin, will report on the compatibility of Estonian and Latvian telecommunication systems.

Estonia March inflation eases to 10.9 pct y y

Dearer motor fuel, bread and vegetables helped push Estonian consumer prices up by 0.8 percent last month to stand 10.9 percent higher than a year earlier, the national statistics office said on Monday. Analysts had forecast the consumer price index (CPI) would rise by only 0.4 percent in March for a 10.4 percent year on year increase. The consumer price index was mainly influenced by an increase in the prices of motor fuel, bread products and fresh vegetables. Electricity was 2.4 percent cheaper compared to the previous month, Statistics Estonia said in a statement. The month on month increase of 0.8 percent was double the February rate. But the year on year rise of 10.9 percent was down from the previous month s near 10-year high of 11.3 percent, reflecting a sharp 1.0

Tallink passengers up 14.2 pct in March

On the Estonia to Finland route, passengers numbers rose 32.2 percent to 235,853, although the key Sweden to Finland route fell 7.3 percent to 204,356, the company said in a statement. It said numbers were down on the key Finnish-Swedish route due to lower capacity, after the sale of one vessel and the change of one vessel to cargo only and the dropping of passenger carriage. The company added that the increase of passengers on the Estonia-Finland route was due to the introduction of the new shuttle vessel which can handle difficult winter weather in the Baltic Sea. Tallink is one of the largest passenger and cargo shipping companies in the Baltic Sea region. The company operates on seven shipping routes under the brands of Tallink, Silja Line and Seawind and also runs two hotels.

Azerbaijan Estonia Discuss Prospects of Economic Cooperation

Azerbaijan, Baku, 2 April The Vice Speaker of the Estonian Parliament Christina Ouland voiced her interest in cooperation with Azerbaijan in the field of economy and culture at the meeting with the Azerbaijani Economic Development Minister Heydar Babayev in Baku on 2 April. Ouland said Estonia is ready to support expansion of the relationships. Cooperation in the IT field, investing in Azerbaijan s economy by Estonian entrepreneurs was discussed at the meeting. Ouland said Azerbaijan s gas delivery to the region is important for integration to Europe. She noted that removal of double taxation will play an important role in development of the economic and trade relations between the two countries. Source http: capital.trend.az print.shtml?newsid 1167649 lang EN

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.

Tunnel planned to link Baltic capitals

Mayors seek EU funding for feasibility study for tunnel between Estonia and Finland. Proposals to link Baltic capitals Helsinki and Tallinn are now under way, following Friday s agreement between the mayors of each city. Mayors Jussi Pajunen of Helsinki and Edgar Savisaar of Tallinn signed a letter of intent for a rail tunnel beneath the Gulf of Finland to join the capitals - a structure that Mr Pajunen said could become the longest of its kind. Many Estonians already commute to work in Helskinki due to the close proximity of the capitals, while Finns regularly go shopping in Tallinn. The mayors agreed to apply for EU funding in May for preliminary feasibility studies. The initial study is estimated to cost between 500,000 ( 390,000) and 800,000 ( 630,000). Each city will invest 100,000 ( 79,000) in the project.

First inmates for new prison

Adding an additional 20 prisoners a day, warden Edvard Remsel stated that We expect to fill the prison by the end of May. According to Remsel, the prison is almost fully staffed. Of the 350 staff positions, 314 have been filled by today and candidates exist for most of the remaining positions, too, but we still lack psychologists, for instance,. The builder, Merko Ehitus, will finish the final jobs on the complex by the end of July, mostly building roads and grounds work. More than 2,700 workers altogether were involved in the construction process of the 16-hectare prison complex located in the town of Johvi. Prisoners are separated from the outside world by two metal fences and one concrete fence guarded in addition by an electronic surveillance system. The construction of the Viru Prison started in August 2006. The complex provides cells for 1,000 prisoners, administrative offices, a school, a church, a sports building, a library, workshops and rooms for social work.

Responses to cybercrime to be debated by Council of Europe

Taking the lead in the fight against computer-related crime is Estonia, the Internet-savvy Baltic country that came under a wave cyber attacks last year that paralyzed many of its businesses and institutions. A conference by the Council of Europe in France on Tuesday and Wednesday will review the implementation of the Convention on Cybercrime, the only legally binding international treaty to address online crime. It also will discuss new guidelines for cooperation between police and investigators and Internet service providers in the fight against crime in cyberspace. Separately, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization s summit in Romania beginning Wednesday will debate NATO s own guidelines for coordinating national cyber defense efforts. The convention also covers offenses involving electronic evidence such as child sexual exploitation, organized crime and terrorism. As the Internet becomes an essential part of daily life across the world, experts from police forces, as well as technology companies Microsoft Corp.

Trade data from the Statistics Estonia

Trade data from the Statistics Estonia showed that trade deficit narrowed to 3.15 billion kroons in January. The deficit totaled 4.08 billion kroons in December and 4.14 billion kroons in the prior year. Export value grew 4 from the previous year, while imports declined 4. The share of EU nations was 75 in total exports. Major partners in exports were Finland, Sweden and Latvia.

Your bill, Sir: 7 billion EEK

The Ministry of Economics and Communications Mario Lambing estimates a 6.8 billion EEK loss associated with the Bronze Soldier riots. That s far more than broken windows and stolen Sprite: the amount factors in transit business losses, as well. But Estonia should keep its happy face, notes Reform Party fraction leader, Silver Meikar. Russia also punishes its friends, he said in a newspaper interview, calling attention to Russian sanctions against both Belarus and Ukraine. Keeping up appearances may be hard to do in a period when more and more Estonian businesses are reporting losses. The economic Charge of the Light Brigade led by a robust real estate market has met its end, and Estonian business leaders like Rein Kilk are calling for businesses to prepare for doing business in a more realistic environment.