"Estonian Independence Congress Calls for Neutrality, Better Ties with Russia"
Baltic News Service
November 3, 2001

Tallinn, 3 November: The Estonian Independence Congress on Saturday adopted a manifesto calling for Estonia's neutrality between the geospaces of the European Union and Russia, as well as improvement of relations above all with Russia. An organizer of the congress, head of the Estonian Independence Party Olavi Tutt, said that the congress adopted the manifesto without any changes. "We made some linguistic changes in the course of discussion of the final document, but there were no changes in substance to the manifesto," Tutt told BNS.

Estonia must be neutral between the two geospaces: the European Union and Russia, declares the draft final document of the Independence Congress held in Tallinn's Sakala centre. "The guarantee to Estonian security has to be found at trilateral US-Russian-Estonian talks," the congress manifesto states. The document also calls for improvement of relations with the eastern neighbour. "Relations have to be developed with all countries, at the present moment above all with Russia," the final document says, adding that the country should have a bigger say in defining Estonia's future.

The Independents say that today's Estonia is led both economically and politically by foreign powers and describe Estonia as a typical neo-colonized country. Economic independence can be guaranteed if any kind of foreign interference in the Estonian economic strategy is blocked and there is transfer to an economy centred on national programmes with preferences for national enterprise.

The Independence Congress was organized by the Estonian Independence Party, the No to the EU movement, the Free Estonia movement, Youth Forum and other associations. Although the organizers sent an invitation to President Arnold Ruutel, the head of state did not attend the congress. Opening words of the congress were said by Prof Peeter Paemurru of the Musical Academy.

Secretary-General of the Independence Party Vello Leito condemned globalization, saying it was by its nature a business project of the world's power and financial bloc. Toomas Paur, chairman of the Raw Milk Union, made a report on the misery of rural life. Arno Otter, President of the Youth Associations Assembly, said he hoped the next Estonian government would have none of its present members who have sold out Estonia. Leader of the No to the EU movement Uno Silberg declared that accession to the European Union was against the constitution and expressed his fear that no EU referendum would be organized in Estonia. Chairman of the Union of Journalists Allan Alakula accused the Estonian media of spinelessness, protection of the interests of owners and support of the present ruling coalition before the 1999 elections. But he favoured accession to the European Union, because this would open the door to European social and labour relations. Demographer Luule Sakkeus said that as demographic processes have long-term effects, our demographic situation is the result of decisions made 25 to 70 years ago. The situation of the population of Estonia is similar to that in developed European countries, but the problem is in a contradiction between a low birth-rate typical of Western Europe and a high death-rate characteristic of Eastern Europe. Ando Leps presented the Centre Party's and Robert Vill of the People's Union's vision of finding a way out of the crisis.

The congress was attended by about 400 people ranging from Soviet-era propagandist Herbert Vainu and MP Elmar Truu from the People's Union to Tiit Madisson, one of the organizers, and five to six skinheads.

In a document published in the weekly Maaleht on Thursday the organizers condemned among other things the Judaic financial world and the Christian-Judaic consumer society. A world war where terrorism is only a means, not a reason, has broken out between them and radical Islam, representing the Third World robbed of all its possessions by big US companies, the document said.

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