TALLINN - Prime Minister Andrus Ansip stuck up for his coalition partner, the Center Party, this week when he claimed every political party had the right to maintain relations with political partners in other countries.
Though opaque, the PM's words were a direct reference to the Center Party's recent cooperation with the United Russia, a pro-Kremlin bloc that controls both the upper and lower chambers of Russia's legislature and has been criticized at home and abroad as a rubber stamp for Kremlin policy.
"Every political party in Estonia has the right to engage in cooperation with parties from outside the country," Ansip, who chairs the Reform Party, said in response to concerns raised by members of the right-wing Pro Patria and Res Publica Union. "No inter-party agreement can change national policy."
As parliamentary elections draw near, politicians are using all ammunition at their disposal, and the Center Party's cosy relationship with the pro-Kremlin party is an easy target.
Even President Toomas Hendrik Ilves expressed concern at a recent trip by Center leader Edgar Savisaar, where the latter met with United Russia Party. Contrary to protocol, a representative of the Estonian Embassy was not present at the meeting.
Ansip, however, pointed out that in Europe - and apparently elsewhere too - a representative from the Foreign Ministry, embassy or consulate is usually present at all ministerial meetings.
However, Ansip added that he hadn't encountered the practice of having diplomats present at meetings where "the chairmen of two or more political parties meet."
The prime minister said that he could not imagine a government where Estonian officials were prevented from holding tete-a-tetes with politicians from outside the country.
"That such a time should return - where meetings must always have a witness present - I do not regard in any way necessary or possible," he said.
Ansip added, though, that he had asked Center Party Chairman Savisaar to share his information with Parliament's foreign affairs committee and discuss his working visits.
Savisaar is also minister of economy and communications in Ansip's Cabinet.
Meanwhile, the opposition dismissed the prime minister's answer as irresponsible.
Pro Patria and Res Publica Union member Marko Mihkelson, who is also vice-chairman of the foreign affairs committee, said that Ansip's statements made him skeptical of Estonia's foreign policy.
"From Ansip's answers, one can make out that he doesn't acknowledge the serious problems that exist in Russia's attitudes toward Estonia, and openly approves of the cooperation agreement of his coalition partner with United Russia," he said.
Mihkelson added that the prime minister was effectively "putting an equation mark" between meetings with European politicians in Brussels and Savisaar's secret meetings with top figures of the Kremlin.
