Visiting Estonian Foreign Minister Paet rejects criticism from Lipponen

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Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet defended his country's foreign policy on Tuesday during a visit to Helsinki. Responding to criticism from former Finnish Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament Paavo Lipponen, Paet said that Estonia's cooperation with Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova is not directed against Russia.
      "Estonia does not have special selfish goals in these countries", Paet said.
     
Paet explained aspects of Estonia's foreign policy at a press conference in Helsinki on Tuesday, and responded to criticism that Lipponen had voiced in Estonia during the weekend.
      In Lipponen's view, Estonia should not work together with Georgia or Ukraine, if it harms relations with Russia.
      Paet said that Estonia supports Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova because they have asked Estonia to share experiences on the way to membership in the European Union and NATO. Estonia also wants to support the countries' efforts at reform and the strengthening of their democracy.
      Paet made polite reference to Lipponen's criticism, saying that it is interesting to hear different kinds of opinions, and that everyone - politicians included - have the right to express them.
      Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ilkka Kanerva (Nat. Coalition Party) did not criticise Lipponen's views, but he did say that Estonia implements its foreign policy in its own way.
     
Kanerva's interpretation of Lipponen's comments was that Russia needs to be brought into cooperation with the west, not isolated from it.
      The ministers emphasised that relations between Estonia and Finland are excellent. Both feel that the greatest concerns surrounding Russia's plans to lay a natural gas pipeline along the bottom of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany are the environmental effects.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Lipponen criticises Estonia´s Russia policy (27.11.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat