Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus will be awarded an honorary doctorate from Tallinn University. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, April 29 in Tallinn University. At the ceremony, the president will be recognized for his contribution to the development of the Baltic region. He has been politically active throughout his career and facilitated in the Baltic region's regaining of independence. Adamkus has already been elected an honorary doctor in 16 universities. Adamkus will visit Estonia April 29-30, when he also meets Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip and Speaker of the Parliament Ene Ergma.
Estonia established diplomatic ties with Kosovo. The corresponding agreement will be signed by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and visiting deputy Prime Minister of Republic of Kosovo Rame Manaj. Arsim Bajram, Kosovo's Minister of Public Administration, and Manaj will be in Estonia from April 28. A few days later they will meet Paet and discuss the development of relations between Kosovo and Estoni, Kosovo's relation with neighboring countries and the situation in Western Balkans. Kosovo ministers will also meet Estonian Minister of Economy and Communications Juhan Parts, Regional Minister Siim-Valmar Kiisler, Chairman of Estonia-Kosovo Parliamentary Group Hannes Astok, Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry Matti Maasikas and representatives of the e-Governance Academy.
The government wants to open the TV Tower to tourists again. The Ministry of Economy and Communications discussed the possibility with Tallinn's City Council. A representative for the ministry, Gea Otsa, said that it was just a work meeting and nothing is decided yet, although the future of the tower has been discussed. Otsa also said the ministry is interested in renovating the tower because it had been the most popular tourist attraction, collecting 40,000 's 50,000 visitors each year. It was closed on Dec. 1 last year because it did not meet Rescuing Board's requirements anymore.
The European Union wants to divide the Estonian energy monopoly by splitting Eesti Energia and Pohivork, a move which will certainly happen before 2013. Lembit Vali, chairman of Pohivork, told Aripaev (business day) that there are two ways it could happen. One of them is still have both as state companies, but under different ministries. The second is to take one of them to the stock market or privatize it. The owners have not agreed about it yet. Sandor Liive, member of Board in Eesti Energia, mentioned that the problem the EU is trying to solve simply does not exist. He said that while some countries are not interested in linking their main grids, Estonia has the opposite situation.
The Reform Party elected Jurgen Ligi as deputy chairman of the party. Ligi steps in to the shoes of Meelis Atonen who resigned form politics in February. Atonen has told press that simply wanted to spend more time with his family.
