- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Estonia to switch envoy to improve ties with Russia - paper

Subscribe
MOSCOW, April 2 (RIA Novosti) - Estonia will soon replace its ambassador to Russia to improve relations, as the current envoy is heavily associated with last year's row over a Soviet war memorial, a Russian paper said Wednesday.

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. He is believed to be a compromise figure - there are almost no objections to his candidacy in parliament, and he is supported by a number of leading Estonian businessmen who are interested in restoring pre-crisis volumes of Russian transit and attracting investors from Russia.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала