  |
Prime Minister Ansip thanked soldiers who served Estonia on missions abroad and their families
27.01.2010
Tallinn, Stenbock House, 27 January 2010 – With a festive reception, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip thanked members of the Defence Forces who served Estonia on missions abroad last year, their loved ones and all those people in Estonia who understand the necessity of the missions.
“You are helping to increase the security of the whole world and helping countries currently unable to manage their affairs themselves,” Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said, speaking in front of members of the Defence Forces and thanking them. The head of government also thanked the loved ones – parents, grandparents, spouses, children and friends – of all the soldiers for their support and understanding. “Serving that far from home would not be possible without the support of loved ones – many thanks to you as well,” Ansip said. Most of the members of the Defence Forces who visited Stenbock House on the Prime Minister’s invitation, today, served in the Estcoy-8 infantry company in Afghanistan and in the Estcoy-E additional company dispatched to Afghanistan for the duration of the elections.
“Your period of service was the harshest among the members of the Defence Forces who have participated in the operation in Afghanistan to date,” conceded Brigadier General Neeme Väli, Commander of the General Staff of the Defence Forces. Over a period of six months, Estcoy-8 carried out 300 patrols or other tactical tasks and engaged in 90 instances of combat, with a total of 47 improvised explosive devices located. “The work you are doing for the benefit of your country and people is the work of a soldier; however, it is now in the past for you. Today, it is more important that you go and play in the snow with your kids. We take sincere pride in you,” Väli said. At the same time, Väli expressed pleasure that Estonian soldiers had successfully completed their work in Iraq and soon also in Kosovo. “We are no longer in Iraq and are about to end our mission to Kosovo, but we are going to have to be in Afghanistan for quite some time yet,” Väli pointed out.
Captain Janno Märk, who headed the Estonian contingent in Afghanistan, previously, acknowledged the loved ones of the members of the Defence Forces in his speech. “I would like to address separately the loved ones of the members of the Defence Forces. Your role is the most difficult, and without your support we could not do that work – thank you very much.”
At today’s reception there was also a moment of silence to honour the memory of soldiers that have fallen on missions. “The freedom of a small people is dear. Your co-combatants made the ultimate sacrifice for Estonia – their life – to defend the freedom of Estonia both now and in the future,” Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said, lowering his head in memory of the fallen soldier’s.
The Prime Minister also thanked members of the Defence Forces who participated in the mission to Kosovo. ESTRIF-5, a reconnaissance platoon assembled based on the National Defence League, operated as part of the Danish battalion located in the vicinity of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo. During its half-year mission, the platoon was tasked with carrying out reconnaissance patrols and security searches and ensuring the security of various sites.
To all of the 362 members of the Defence Forces invited, the head of government gave a copy of Merike Jürjo’s book, Estonian Man - a Soldier, together with a personal expression of thanks. Last year, members of the Defence Forces defended Estonia’s interests in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and, as an observer of the UN, in Lebanon. In total, there were approximately 600 members of the Defence Forces on missions abroad in 2009. Currently, there are 194 members of the Defence Forces on missions abroad.
Baltic Prime Ministers: the potential of the Baltic and Nordic region must be utilised
22.01.2010
Me˛otnes, 21 January 2010 – At the unofficial meeting of the Baltic Prime Ministers in Latvia, Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius discussed the economic situation in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the cooperation issues in the Baltic and Nordic region, as well as the socioeconomic challenges the region is facing.
The Prime Ministers were hopeful that the largest recession in the economy has passed and the expected adaptation phase is underway; it is especially important to focus on long-term solutions. According to the Latvian Prime Minister, Latvia and Lithuania are also holding on to the potential future joining of the Eurozone. According to the Prime Ministers, closer cooperation with the Nordic countries also contributes to the increasing of the competitiveness of the region.
According to Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, the economic recession in Estonia was affected by the global decrease in foreign trade and if the world economy stabilises, the Estonian economy will also stabilise. According to him, the economic development of Estonia is mainly affected by the circumstances of Europe and the Nordic countries and the livening of foreign demand.
“We must keep our economic environment stable and safe, only then may we experience a new rise,” Ansip said. According to him, the forecasts of the European Commission also confirm that in case of the right decisions, economic growth can be even larger than in other EU Member States.
According to the Prime Ministers, it is important to view the economic development of the Baltic States in the longer perspective. “If we look at the GDP volume statistics since 2000, our countries have been some of the most successful in the European Union,” he added.
The Prime Minister added that in order to increase the credibility of the economic environment, it is important for Estonia to join the Eurozone in 2011, and that Estonia has made every effort to fulfil the required criteria. The possibility of Estonia joining the Eurozone is beneficial for its neighbours as well.
According to Ansip, closer cooperation with the Nordic countries would also contribute to the speed of the development of the region. In his words, the potential of the Baltic Sea region is great and can be utilised by operating together. “We can grow into the most competitive region in Europe,” Ansip said.
View the photo of the meeting of three Baltic Prime Ministers:
http://www.valitsus.ee/index.php?id=6570
The Prime Minister met with the President of Georgia
20.01.2010
Tallinn, Stenbock House, 20 January 2010 – Prime Minister Andrus Ansip met with President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who is on a two-day official visit to Estonia. At the meeting, the focus was on the cooperation between the two countries. The Prime Minister also reconfirmed the position of Estonia regarding the territorial integrity of Georgia.
When discussing the relations between the two countries, economic cooperation opportunities were mainly focused on, in which the greatest potential is seen by both parties primarily in the fields of information technology and in agriculture. In addition to the economic indicators of both countries, the significant role of foreign investments was also discussed. At that, Prime Minister Ansip pointed out the importance of a transparent business environment that increases the attraction of the economic environment of the state for foreign investors.
When speaking about the non-recognition policy with regard to the separatist regions of Georgia, Ansip stressed that Estonia supports the territorial integrity of Georgia. “It is our clear goal to continue supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia in all international organisations,” he emphasised.
Archive
|
|
