Duma delegates refused to meet journalists

Keeping the international press and diplomatic corps waiting for over an hour, the delegates of the Duma of Russia announced they refuse of today’s program, including meeting the media.

The beginning was hopeful although the press conference of Duma delegates planned by the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs to take place at 16:30 was already delayed.

“Are they arrested?” was somebody’s attempt to make a joke in English since the reason of the delay is said to be a prolonged visit to the Police Board.

Finally the press conference began, but without the delegates. The press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ehtel Halliste, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Riigikogu, Sven Mikser, and Vice Speaker Kristiina Ojuland take their places.

According to Ojuland, the understanding that there is no hope whatsoever to reach a mutual understanding or develop a dialogue on the subject of 50 years of occupation came rather quickly.

On the positive side, Ojuland named the promise of the delegates to resolve the security issues of the Estonian Embassy in Moscow, being in a “Leningrad Blockade” for four days by now.

“We were assured that the Russian side will do its best to normalize the situation”, she said.

The Vice Speaker added that in spite of differences of opinions, the understanding of the necessity to continue the dialogue, especially on the parliamentary level, still remained. Ojuland promised that the subject of bilateral visits will be continued after the forthcoming holidays. “Undoubtedly, the Estonian side can take this as a positive experience”.

The Duma delegates presented a lot of questions to Estonian politicians on the acts of vandalism and the fate of the Bronze Soldier. “At the present moment meetings in the Police Board are taking place and hopefully the Russian delegates will receive exhaustive answers to all their questions”, said Ojuland. “Regarding the Bronze Soldier, we also assured that the memorial is intact, it is not cut into pieces and the delegates will very soon be able to see it with their own eyes”.

According to Ojuland, the Estonians criticized severely the words of Duma delegate Nikolai Kovaljov as if the Prime Minister of Estonia should resign. “This is Estonia’s domestic affair, moreover — such an exclamation over a leader of one of the states of the European Union and NATO leads me to wonder which EU or NATO state will be facing such demands next”.

According to the Chairman of the National Defence Committee, Sven Mikser, the Russian guests said, that the issue is indeed Estonian domestic affair, but Estonia should, nevertheless, consider the interests of Russia.

According to Kovaljov, he only expressed personal opinion regarding Ansip and finds himself in every right to do so. At the same time, the delegation of Duma stated that they do not wish to terminate diplomatic relations with Estonia like some other groups do, who, by the words of Kovaljov, are extremists.

The press conference of the Duma delegates is here discontinued since the delegates who were supposed to arrive by 16:30, have not arrived even by 17:40.

Finally. Ehtel Halliste steps out and says: “As it is said in Estonian, the hope dies last. Now the hope is dead. The delegates of Duma have announced that they refuse their program for today and also of the press conference where a large group of international journalists and representatives of the diplomatic corps are waiting for them”.

Tomorrow the delegates have the opportunity to see with their own eyes that the Bronze Soldier is absolutely intact as it always was, the schedule also foresees a visit to the Tõnismäe excavations.