Eesti in brief - 2010-06-02

A presentation of the first Russian-language children’s primer published in Estonia was held on May 27 in Tallinn, reports Ria Novosti.  Russian-speaking minorities constitute 25.6 percent of the country’s current population. The Russian language was the second official language in Estonia during the Soviet era, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Estonian went back to being the only state language in Estonia. Before the release of the book, Russian-speaking children had to use the primers published in Russia, which introduced the Russian culture, history and geography. The new book, on the contrary, offers children stories about Estonia, its history, culture, geography, and local folklore.

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip stated that if Russia wanted to, it could meet the necessary requirements for visa-free travel, reports National Broadcasting. “We have always favored free movement of persons,” said the prime minister. Ansip said that Russia needs to first conclude a readmission agreement with the European Union. “Russia needs to readmit the persons who no longer wish to return there and are staying in the European Union illegally,” he asserted. Secondly, Russia should provide all its citizens with international travel documents. The Estonian PM also noted that the EU wants all limitations for moving around in Russia abolished.