Estonian Foreign Minister on International Documents to Combat Racism and Intolerance

Reply-To: [email protected]
Sender: [email protected]
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 09:09:47 +0300 (EEST)
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Subject: Estonian Foreign Minister on International Documents to Combat Racism and Intolerance

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Irina Ljahh <[email protected]>

Estonian Foreign Minister on International Documents to
Combat Racism and Intolerance


Estonia and International Documents to Combat Racism and Intolerance

Eexcerpts from the minutes of the parliamentary session with the
participation of Mr. T.H.Ilves, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs   

Unofficial translation from Estonian. Original text was made public at
official parliamentary site http://www.riigikogu.ee


IX Riigikogu
V Session
Thursday, 3rd of May 2001

10.00 o'clock

Discussion on foreign policy
Rapporteur: Minister of Foreign Affairs Toomas Hendrik Ilves

..

CHAIRMAN

Thank you! Viktor Andrejev, please start!

V. ANDREJEV

Thank you, Mr. Chairman! Dear Minister of Foreign Affairs! Last
November Estonia signed the protocol no.12 to the European Convention
for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. When is
it planned to organize its ratification and what did Estonia commit to
in doing so and what concrete steps are planned to be taken to
implement the provisions of the protocol? Thank you!

T.H. ILVES

I apologize that, frankly speaking, I don't remember by heart which
protocol is number 12. Thank you!

CHAIRMAN

Thank you! Valentina Vyssotskaja, please!


V. VYSSOTSKAJA

Thank you Mr. Chairman! Dear Minister! Do you think it is possible
that Estonia will join the European Convention on Nationality, taking
into account a large number of stateless persons permanently residing
in Estonia?

T.H.ILVES

I don't see right now that it would be in the interests of Estonia.
Thank you!

CHAIRMAN

Thank you! Colleague Viktor Andrejev, the second question, please!

V. ANDREJEV

Thank you Mr. Chairman! Dear Mr. Minister of Foreign Affairs! I am
sorry, that you couldn't answer me about the European Convention for
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Estonia has
signed the protocol no.12 to this convention and you are aware about
it. However, my second question is following.  There is written in the
preamble of all international conventions that before reports are
being represented to the organs that control the implementation of the
conventions, these reports should be discussed in public. What kind of
actions is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs going to take to ensure
that the report would be deliberated over in every layer of Estonian
society? Thank you!

T. H. ILVES

Thank you! Reports could be discussed any time, I don't understand the
question, because if we make a report and it is publicly available,
then people, who are interested in it, can discuss about it, which
means that we don't have to make any kind of campaign that " now start
to discuss about it". If you are interested, then discuss.

..

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN

Thank you! Valentina Vyssotskaja, another question, please!

V. VYSSOTSKAJA

Thank you Mr. Deputy Chairman! Mr. Minister! As you know, in June 2000
the European Union has adopted the Directive 2043 IS on the principle
of equal treatment between persons despite their race or national
background. I want to ask, what kind of measures is Estonia going to
take to fulfill the requirements of this directive, bearing in mind
that Estonia intends soon to enter the European Union. Thank you!

T.H.ILVES

I believe that it is considerably well guaranteed in Estonia that
people are not discriminated at working places because of their
nationality or race. We have not noticed that this kind of incidents
would have happened. We have sometimes seen the blows of racism in
Estonia, which is very reprehensible. However, I haven't heard that
there would have been such a thing at working place. Thank you!

-- 
==============================================================
MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central&Eastern
Europe

Submissions: [email protected]  
Subscription/inquiries: [email protected] 
List archive: http://www.riga.lv/minelres/archive.htm
==============================================================