Marina Kaljurand, Ambassador of Estonia to the Russian Federation
Photo: Valery Levitin
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Estonia Changes Ambassador to Uncloud Relations
Estonian Foreign Ministry is getting ready to replace Russia’s ambassador. Marina Kaljurand hasn’t worked in Moscow for three years, but she is mostly associated with past year’s clashes initiated by moving the Soviet Bronze Soldier Monument from downtown Tallinn to a military cemetery in the suburbs.
Marina Kaljurand, Ambassador of Estonia to the Russian Federation, could be soon replaced by Simmu Tiik, who currently heads the Eastern Europe’s Department of Estonian Foreign Ministry. Once in office, Tiik will be committed to revive normal relations of Moscow and Tallinn, as Russia is apparently changes its attitude to the Baltic States and Estonia’s economy suffers hefty losses as a result of the conflict.
The climax of Marina Kaljurand’s activities in Moscow was past year’s events, when Tallinn moved the bronze statue of the WW2 Red Army Soldier from downtown to a military cemetery in the suburbs and quite a few youth movements of Russia called Ms Kaljurand the symbol of fascist regime of Estonia. Her car was attacked by the youth but the ambassador manifested the courage and rigidity.
Meanwhile in Tallinn, they have apparently decided to aim at warmer relations with Moscow, as the Bronze Soldier's conflict stripped the country’s economy off up to 40-percent of the budget revenues. The first move en route to improvement could be replacing the ambassador, who inspires negative thoughts in Russia.
People in Estonia’s Foreign Ministry hope that a new ambassador will work in totally different conditions in Russia. The standing of the Kremlin became clear after then Russia’s Ambassador to Latvia Viktor Kalyuzhny declared the change of the attitude to the Baltic States past fall. “The Kremlin will be working not with the opposition but rather with current authorities,” Kalyuzhny vowed.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 02, 2008
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