TALLINN 's Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said all stateless persons residing in Estonia would become citizens within 10 years if the present pace of naturalization continues.
"In 10 years all stateless persons wishing to become citizens should be able to do so," Ansip told on Thursday.
Ansip refuted assertions that the stateless residents of Estonia would be granted citizenship in 30 years if the present pace continued. "Our calculations are based on real facts," he said.
At the Interior Ministry's proposal, the government gave citizenship to 672 people meeting requirements of the Citizenship Act. Of these 26 will become citizens on condition they are relieved of their earlier citizenship.
Last year 6,523 people were granted Estonian citizenship by naturalization.
Estonia had 135,000 residents of undefined citizenship as of Aug. 1.
