Tallinn, July l2, l993
C S C E
High Commissioner
on National Minorities
Statement of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, Mr. Max van der Stoel
On July 10-12, 1993, I visited Estonia again. I had meetings with President Meri and Prime Minister Laar. I also met with the chairmen of the City Councils of Narva and Sillamaee, Mr Chuikin and Mr Maksimenko, and with Mr Yugantsov and Mr Semjonov of the Representative Assembly. Main subject of discussion was the development of the situation now that the Riigikogu has adopted a revised version of the law on aliens and the President has decided not to promulgate the law on education, but to send it back to Parliament for further consideration.
In conversations with the Prime Minister, I received the following assurances:
1) The Estonian Government is determined to develop a relationship of friendship and cooperation with the Russian community in Estonia, expecting loyalty towards the Republic of Estonia in return.
2) To promote such a relationship, the Government of Estonia is determined to have an intensive and continuous dialogue with representatives of the Russian community, during which they will be free to raise any question about which they feel concerned.
3) The fact that non-Estonian residents who entered the country before 1 July 1990 must apply for residence permits under the new law on aliens, must not be interpreted as an obligation for the residents concerned to accept that in future there will be no other possibility for them than to remain non-citizens. In principle, any non-citizen residing in Estonia for more than two years can apply for citizen residing in Estonia for more than two years can apply for citizenship of Estonia if he or she wishes to do so.
4) As far as the requirements for citizenship are concerned, the Government intends to take concrete steps in the near future to ensure that the recommendations made on this subject by the High Commissioner on National minorities last April will be put into effect. Directives will be issued to ensure that the language requirements will not exceed the ability to conduct a simple conversation in Estonian and that the requirements will be even lower for persons over 60 and invalids.
5) The Government of Estonia wants to restate categorically that it does not intend to start a policy of expulsion from Estonia of Russian residents. This also applies to persons who are unemployed. As far as former members of the Soviet armed forces and their families are concerned, humanitarian considerations will determine the attitude of the Estonian Government. Those who received some kind of military training during their university studies but have not actively served in the Soviet armed forces will not be considered as belonging to the category of former members of the Soviet armed forces.
6) The Government of estonia will implement article 8:4 of the law on aliens, concerning aliens' passports in such a way that no complicated procedures are needed in order to get an alien's passport.
7) The Government of Estonia will examine the possibilities of facilitating the naturalisation of residents non-citizens who will be presented as candidates in the forthcoming local elections.
8) The Government of Estonia intends to make a special effort to improve the economic situation in Northeastern Estonia.
9) The Government of Estonia, even though considering the referenda planned in Narva and Sillamaee as illegal, will not use force to prevent them from being held.
10) The statement of the Committee of senior Officials of the CSCE of June 30 supporting the continuous involvement of the High Commissioner on National Minorities in Estonia is welcomed by the Government of Estonia.
In conversations with the representatives of the Russian community in Estonia I received the following assurances:
1) The representatives of the Russian community on their part will play an active and constructive role in the dialogue with the Government.
2) They will fully respect the Constitution and the territorial integrity of Estonia.
3) Moreover, the presidents of the City Councils of Narva and Sillamaee assured me that if the question of the legality of the referenda planned in Narva and Sillamaee is submitted to the National Court, they will abide by its ruling.
I am aware that in the dialogue between the Government and the Russian community many difficult questions will have to be solved. However. I am also convinced that the assurances I have received provide a solid basis for a fruitful dialogue.
