HELSINKI - Estonian leadersdon't believe that the assuming of office by new Russian President DmitryMedvedev will rapidly improve relations between the two countries, theinitiative for which according to the country's president and government shouldcome from Moscow, Finland's STT news agency said.
Estonian Prime MinisterAndrus Ansip said when appearing before foreign journalists that it's Russiawho must wish to have good-neighborly relations, STT said.
It said that relations between Estoniaand Russiabecame particularly tense after the riots in Tallinn last spring, with Moscowaccusing Tallinn of violation ofthe rights of the Russian minority and fascism. These accusations continue tothis day, the agency said.
"It's sad to have to waste so much time responding to false allegationsby Russia,"Estonia'sForeign Minister Urmas Paet said. "We should arrive at a level where wecould use our energy for the right things, not on who says something moreaggressively or arrogantly about the other," he said.
The Finnish paper said that the president of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, does not believe that Medvedev willbring changes, as a bill is being handled by the Duma lower house of Russianparliament right now that expands the powers of Prime Minister Vladimir Putinin foreign policy.
So the foreign relations of Russiawill remain in the same hands despite the change of president, Ilves observed.
STT recalled the Russian demand that Estoniaend proceedings against Arnold Meri, the Soviet war hero being tried inconnection with his role in the mass deportation of civilians to Siberia.
"Why should we do it?" Ilves asked. "Do you imagine Germanyhaving demanded Israelto leave [Nazi criminal Adolf] Eichmann without punishment?" he said.
The Estonian president saidone rather should ask what kind of country is it that demands ending of a trialheld on charges of crimes against humanity.
"The problem of the Russians is that they don't want to admit Estonia'shaving been independent before 1940," said Paet.
Likewise, no top-level leader of Russiahas visited Tallinn after Estoniaregained its independence.
STT recalled that immediately after the events of last April about 60percent of respondents in a Russian survey said they saw Estoniaas the country most hostile toward Russia.A few months later that place was taken by Georgia.
It's easy to manipulate with public opinion with the help of controlledmedia, Paet said in his comment.
