Eesti in brief - 2013-03-07

According to the Statistic Estonia data, Estonia increased horsemeat imports by nearly ten times in 2012, reports Public Broadcasting. The amount of all imported exotic meat grew by 3.7 times as compared to 2011. Last year, 123 tons of horsemeat and 41 tons of home-grown rabbit meat was imported. Other types of exotic meat that was imported included reindeer meat (532 kg), frog legs (273 kg), crocodile and snake meat (50 kg). Nearly 30 percent of the imported horsemeat was exported from the state again. Seventy-three percent of horsemeat came from Hungary and 18 percent from Belgium. Home-grown rabbit meat imports grew by nearly 5 times and it mostly came from Lithuania. Reindeer meat mostly came from the U.S., and frog legs from Belgium, but were of Indonesian origin. Eurostat data indicate that in the first 11 months of 202, Latvia imported 19 tons of horsemeat, Lithuania 2 tons, but Finland imported nearly 20 times more than Estonia.

Estonian Defense Minister Urmas Reinsalu and commander-in-chief of the Defense Forces, Major General Riho Terras, announced at a press briefing on March 1 that Estonia plans to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by the summer of 2014, reports Public Broadcasting. Estonia intends to send to Afghanistan two more rotations of maneuvering units, the Estcoy-16 infantry company that is in pre-mission preparations now, and Escoy-17 that will be deployed in November, which will be the last Estonian rotation in southern Afghanistan in the NATO ISAF operation. Major General Terras said that the Afghanistan mission has helped the Estonian Defense Forces to raise battle ability, extend equipment service, and develop weapons and tactics. Defense Minister Reinsalu said that the international community will support Afghanistan after 2014 too. He added that Estonia has decided to grant financial support to the Afghanistan army starting in 2014.