Estonia to close consulates in New York City and San Francisco in 2024
By Sten Hankewitz, Estonian World
“The closure of the consulate general in New York City is especially remarkable as it operated throughout the Soviet occupation of Estonia and can be regarded as a monument to the continuity of the Republic of Estonia. The first representative of Estonia in NYC, Nikolai Köstner, was appointed on 1 May 1921 and the consulate started operations on 28 July 1922 when the United States recognised the Republic of Estonia.”
—
“Until 1965, Estonia was represented in NYC by Johannes Kaiv, followed by the legendary diplomat Ernst Jaakson, who, in 1991, was appointed as the Estonian ambassador to the United States and the permanent representative of Estonia to the United Nations. Jaakson served his country as a diplomat for 79 years, and he was revered by his fellow Estonians for being an ambassador without a country and for making the consulate a symbol of freedom in the decades that the country was occupied by the Soviet Union.”
https://estonianworld.com/business/estonia-to-close-consulates-in-new-york-city-and-san-francisco/
“Estonian ForMin to cut 45 positions, close consulates in New York and San Francisco.” - Postimees
San Francisco ja New Yorgi peakonsulaadi kinnipanek on mats äridiplomaatiale
(ERR)
“New Yorgi peakonsulaat on Ratase sõnul tegelenud eestlaste muredega ja selle sulgemise tagajärjel teenuse kättesaadavus halveneb.”
—
"Teiseks on New Yorgi konsulaat ehitanud meie äridiplomaatia sidemeid. Ja kolmandaks, mis märgiliselt kõige halvem - just raske okupatsiooni ajal oli Ernst Jaakson peakonsul saadiku ülesannetes New Yorgis ja konsulaadi sulgemine on löök meie diplomaatia järjepidevusele," lausus Ratas veel.Välisministeerium teatas teisipäeval, et koondab 45 ametikohta ning sulgeb peakonsulaadid New Yorgis ja San Franciscos 2024. aasta suvest.”
https://www.err.ee/1609113248/ratas-san-francisco-peakonsulaadi-kinnipanek-on-mats-aridiplomaatiale
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Friday 29. September
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo met with Estonian counterpart Kaja Kallas
(TVP)
“The joint conference in Helsinki was dominated by security issues and support for Ukraine. “It is natural that Finland and Estonia have pledged to support Ukraine for as long as necessary since we are neighbors of Russia.”
“How Estonia and Japan Approach Deterrence.” - ICDS
“Latvia’s New Government Should Rewrite Security Strategy.” - CEPA
“NATO will temporarily deploy AWACS surveillance planes to Šiauliai, Lithuania.” - NATO
“Russia’s Gray Zone Threat after Ukraine. Russia is far from down and out.” - National Interest
Kaljulaid lahkus Alexela nõukogust, kui Vene gaasi ostmine sai avalikuks
Ülle Harju, Postimees
“Mõistagi ei saa ma äri Venemaaga heaks kiita, mistõttu esitasin täna taotluse nõukogust lahkumiseks,” kirjutas Kersti Kaljulaid kolmapäeva õhtul oma Facebooki kontol. Kolmveerand tunni pärast täpsustas Alexela pressiteates, et Kersti Kaljulaid otsustas ennast Alexela ASi nõukogust taandada, kuni ettevõte otsib asendust Venemaalt seaduslikult toodavale veeldatud naftagaasile (LPG), mida kasutab siinne toiduainetööstus.”
“Kaljulaid leaves Alexela supervisory board due to gas imports from Russia.”
Eesti juurtega astronaut rääkis Tartus noortele oma tööst
(Novaator)
“Märtsis naasis Eesti juurtega ameeriklane Nicole Aunapu Mann viie ja poole kuu pikkuselt kosmosemissioonilt. Selle nädala kolmapäeval külastas ta Tartut. "See on alles minu teine päev Eestis ja mulle väga meeldib. Käisime eile Hiiumaal, mu vanaisa oli sealt pärit, nii et oli tore külastada.”
https://novaator.err.ee/1609114454/eesti-juurtega-astronaut-raakis-tartus-noortele-oma-toost
“Astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann makes first trip to ancestors' home in Estonia.” - ERR
Pride of Estonia: Paul Keres, one of the best to never hold chess world crown
(The Guardian)
“A top player for a quarter of a century and a national hero immortalised on coins, the fates denied him a world title match.”
How an Estonian tailor’s daughter became a key player in Rupert Murdoch’s media empire
By Silver Tambur, Estonian World
“Three heirs of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire – Lachlan, James and Elisabeth Murdoch – and their mother Anna Torv, the daughter of Estonian tailor Jakob Tõrv, can track their family history to the Tõrvanõmme farm in Pärnumaa.”
Estonian parlt committee recommends using historic name Konigsberg instead of Kaliningrad
(Postimees | Latvian Broadcsting)
“Estonia is in the process of joining Latvia, Lithuania and Poland by referring to Russia's Baltic exclave of 'Kaliningrad' by one of its older names.”
—
“Members of the committee also pointed out that the city of Kingissepp in Russia should be called by its former name Jamburg or Jaama. The committee made the proposal to consider changing the name to the language committee of the Estonian Language Society .…”
—
Sweden’s PM Ulf Kristersson calls in army chief as gang violence surges
(Politico Europe | BNN | Reuters)
“A surge in gang-related violence has shaken Sweden over the past few weeks, leaving 11 people dead this month alone. On Thursday, two men were shot in separate incidents close to Stockholm, while a 25-year-old woman was killed in a bomb attack near Uppsala. … The police estimate that about 30,000 people in Sweden are directly involved with or have ties to gang crime. The violence has also spread from major urban areas to smaller towns where violent crime was previously rare.”
—
https://bnn-news.com/gang-violence-in-sweden-swedish-prime-minister-summons-army-leaders-250039
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The Promise and Peril of EU Expansion
By Carl Bildt, Foreign Affairs
“The Bloc Must Add Ukraine—but It Won’t Be Simple.”
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/europe/promise-and-peril-eu-expansion
Thursday 28. September
Teadlased on eri meelt, kas Läänemerest vana sõjamoona väljatoomine on ohutu
(ERR)
“Suuremad uputuspaigad on tänaseks teada, kuid mürke uputati ka teel ja näiteks Gdanskis on mitteametlik uputuskoht, millest saadi teada alles paarkümmend aastat tagasi. Ka Leedu vetes on keemiarelva uputatud. Eesti veed varjavad eelkõige kümneid tuhandeid meremiine ja vrakke, millest ajapikku on hakanud kütust lekkima.”
—
“Meie vetes teadaolevalt ei ole mürgiseid jääke, väljaarvatud raske kütteõli, diisel. Aga kemikaale teadaolevalt ei ole. Mis ei tähenda, et neid ei pruugi olla siin. kui Nõukogude sõjavägi lahkus, ega nad väga ausalt ei rääkinud, mis nad siin teinud olid," ütles meremuuseumi merearheoloog Ivar Treffner.”
“Scientists disagree on whether old munitions retrieval safe in the Baltic.” - ERR
“How abandoned war weapons are poisoning the Baltic sea.” - Eurondews
Environmental group calls for restrictions on most Baltic Sea herring
(Yle)
“… herring caught in the Gulf of Bothnia, off Finland’s west coast, should be used cautiously while herring trawled from the Baltic Sea's main basin should be avoided completely. The WWF fish guide uses traffic-light indicators. It has changed the status of herring from the Gulf of Bothnia from green to yellow, and that of herring from the main part of Baltic to red.”
—
“Baltic herring caught from the Gulf of Riga between Latvia and Estonia is still marked in green.”
“Baltic fishermen protest against reduction of EU fishing quotas.” - BNN
Interview: Erik Kalda, executive editor of Ida-Virumaa newspaper Põhjarannik
(ERR)
“I have thought about what Estonia could have done differently – it seems to me that Estonia let a generation of young Russians fall through the cracks. People who went to school in the 1990s and early 2000s. They were overlooked. The constitutional order changed, while the education system did not follow suit fast enough – Russian schools were left to their own devices and in the administrative area of local governments. No one really kept up with what was going on in those schools. News surfaced from time to time that textbooks came from Russia and were used in teaching.”
https://news.err.ee/1609110611/interview-estonia-has-overlooked-a-generation-of-young-russians
Soome peakonsulaat Peterburis sulges uksed
(Postimees)
“Täna oli Soome peakonsulaat Peterburis viimast päeva avatud. Peakonsulaat suleti sünge tseremooniaga, mis lõppes konsulaadi embleemide eemaldamisega hoonelt – Soome ja Euroopa Liidu lipu langetamisega ja konsulaadi vapi seinalt eemaldamisega.”
https://maailm.postimees.ee/7864184/soome-peakonsulaat-peterburis-sulges-uksed
“‘This is not just Putin’s war’: How Finland’s top diplomat sees Ukraine.” - Washington Post
“If Putin tried to take over Helsinki, the Defense Forces would turn this familiar road into a scene of destruction.” - Iltalehti (in Finnish)
NATO nuclear deterrence and its implications for Finland
(Finnish Institute of International Affairs)
“To date, Finland has approached nuclear weapons as a disarmament and arms control issue. NATO membership will make nuclear deterrence a part of Finland’s foreign and security policy, however. NATO calls itself a nuclear alliance, and nuclear weapons, along with conventional weapons systems and missile defence, form one part of NATO’s deterrence mix. As a member of NATO, Finland must decide on its own contribution to the military alliance’s nuclear weapons policy.”
https://www.fiia.fi/en/project/nato-nuclear-deterrence-and-its-implications-for-finland
“Finland Adjusts to a Nuclear NATO.” - Yle
Wednesday 27. September
Veel üks punamonument rändab ajaloo prügikasti
(Postimees)
“Praegu lammutatakse Saue vallas Hüüru kandis punamonumenti, millega tähistati kohta, kus 1941. aastal sunniti tuhandeid tallinlasi kaevama tankitõrjekraave pealetungivate Saksa vägede peatamiseks.”
https://www.postimees.ee/7863695/galerii-veel-uks-punamonument-randab-ajaloo-prugikasti
“Soviet monument being demolished in Saue rural municipality near Tallinn.” - Postimees
“Monuments to Poles and Finns Torn Down Across Russian Federation.” - Paul Goble
Estonian govt approves 2024 state budget
(Postimees)
“… and the state budget strategy for the next four years, with next year's revenues amounting to 16.8 billion euros and expenditures to 17.7 billion euros, and compared to the budget for 2023, revenues will increase by 7.7 % and expenditures by 4.9 %.”
—
“The budget is focused on Estonia's military and broad national defense, education, economic revitalization, which is also supported by the green reform, and the sustainability of public finances. Supporting Ukraine continues to be very important for Estonia, as reported by the government's communication office.”
https://news.postimees.ee/7863344/estonian-govt-approves-2024-state-budget
How did Estonia become a world leader in education
(Israel Haytom)
“… and what can Israel learn from it?”
https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/09/24/how-did-estonia-become-world-leader-in-education/
“Georgia legislator travels to Finland and Estonia seeking best education practices.” - RoughDraft Atlanta
Latvian army lost contact with a drone above Latvian-Russian border
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“… that may have landed on Russian soil. The incident took place during military exercises Namejs 2023, the Ministry of Defense (AM) said.”
“Latvia-Belarus border 'migratory pressure' not felt in Estonia so far.” - ERR
Questions of Trust Threatens Baltic Resilience
By Marija Golubeva, CEPA
“Setbacks to public trust in government are eroding the resilience of Baltic societies at a time when they need to be strong.”
https://cepa.org/article/questions-of-trust-threaten-baltic-resilience/
"Kahju küll, Vladimir!”
(Postimees)
“USA endine välisminister Hillary Clinton pilkas teisipäeval oma vana vaenlast, Venemaa autoritaarset presidenti Vladimir Putinit seoses NATO laienemisega pärast sissetungi Ukrainasse.”
—
“Kahju küll, Vladimir. Sa ise tõid selle endale kaela,” ütles Clinton, saabudes välisministeeriumi oma ametliku portree avalikustamisele. “See oli selline vaidlusküsimus. Ja me oleme alati öelnud, et inimesi ei sunnita NATOga liituma, inimesed valivad ja tahavad NATOga ühineda.”
https://maailm.postimees.ee/7863441/hillary-clinton-nato-laienemisest-kahju-kull-vladimir
'Too bad, Vladimir!’
(Reuters)
“Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton needled Russian President Vladimir Putin about NATO enlargement on Tuesday, saying: "Too bad, Vladimir. You brought it on yourself.”
—
“We always said, ‘People are not forced to join Nato. People choose and want to join Nato.”
- Russia’s Forever War -
Russia is Preparing the Next Generation to Die for Their Country
(The Moscow Times)
“… Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that the “historical mission of the Russian education system has always been to form a sense of citizenhood and patriotism.” He named the Russian Army — specifically those fighting in Ukraine — as a key beneficiary of Russia’s world-leading morality-based schooling. He hailed soldiers for battling against an enemy that seeks to destroy Russia’s historical memory, history and traditions.”
—
“Besides patriotism, Russian children will learn practical skills that can be used if — or when — they have to go to war. For example, they will be taught how to use weapons and pilot drones.”
Russian Offensive Campaign
Assessment: 27. Sept / 28 Sept
(ISW)
“The situation near Verbove remains unclear as prominent Russian milbloggers have become noticeably less inclined to report in detail on Russian activity on this frontline or present bad news about Russian failures, while a discussion about reported Russian problems in this area has emerged on the fringes of the Russian information space. Zaporizhia Oblast occupation official Vladimir Rogov claimed on September 26 that at least four Ukrainian companies with a significant number of armored vehicles stormed Russian positions along the Robotyne-Verbove line after conducting a massive artillery barrage.”
—
“Senior NATO and Western defense officials met with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Kyiv on September 28 to discuss Ukraine’s military needs.”
—
“Putin meets former Wagner commander Andrei Troshev.” - BBC
“33 Officers Obliterated in Biggest Blow Yet, Says Ukraine.” - Daily Beast
“Kremlin Tasks Senior Ex-Wagner Commander With Forming Volunteer Corps.” - RFERL
“Propaganda: Russian state TV promotes new Tucker Carlson show.” - FT
“Putin signs executive order to conscript 130K into Russian army this fall.” - Meduza
Stripping Russia’s veto power on the Security Council is all but impossible
(The Conversation)
“Perhaps we should expect less from the UN instead.”
“Russia seeks to rejoin UN's human rights council.” - BBC
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