kantseleis

Interviews

- Reset + PDFPrint

President of the Republic to BNS on April 30, 2007

30.04.2007

BNS question: What are your comments on the situation at the Estonian Embassy in Moscow, where the diplomats are not able to leave the building?

President of the Republic Toomas Hendrik Ilves: “What we see happening around the Embassy of the Estonian Republic in the center of the Russian capital, Moscow is psychological terror. A score of citizens of the Estonian Republic, diplomats, are as good as hostages in the embassy building and other Estonian citizens are prevented from entering their country’s embassy.

I am astonished by the indifferent attitude of the forces of law and order, especially since we have only recently seen how forcefully the local commandos dealt with demonstrators. It seems as if Russia has renounced the Vienna Convention, whereby it has the obligation to guarantee the work and security of the embassies and diplomats located on its territory.

Estonia has demonstrated its openness and readiness for dialogue by today receiving a delegation from the Russian State Duma that is coming to familiarize itself with the situation in Estonia. Shouldn’t the Estonian Riigikogu now think about sending members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Legal Affairs Committee to Moscow to become familiar with the situation in which the citizens and diplomats of the Republic of Estonia find themselves as a result of the indifference of the Russian authorities?”