07 June 2004 08:19
Estonian foreign minister cautious over Tallinn mayorTs visit to Moscow
TALLINN. June 7 (Interfax) - Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland has said lessons must be learned from the
visit by Tallinn Mayor Edgar Savisaar, chairman of the opposition Center Party, to Moscow.
Responding in parliament on Monday to a query about how her ministry views the visit, she said that Savisaar's
delegation had held meetings with Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, United Russia party leader Boris Gryzlov, Orthodox
Christian Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II and Estonian students from the Moscow Arts Theater studio and head
of the studio Oleg Tabakov. The Foreign Ministry is unaware of any other unofficial meetings, Ojuland said.
"It would be fine if heads of local self-governments notified the
country's agencies, in particular the Foreign Ministry, of their
Estonian diplomats were not present at every meeting, she said. "Legislation does not provide for their
mandatory presence at meetings held at the level of local self-governments," Ojuland said.
meetings with highly placed officials of other countries in order to avoid misunderstandings and ambiguities,"
she said.
"No problems arise when local self-governments attend meetings at their own level. We must learn from this case
and prevent their going beyond what is allowed them," Ojuland said. [EE EUROPE EMRG DIP RU POL] ap aw
[Interfax] |
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