President of Estonia: Baltic is not an enemy of Russia

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On December 30, Estonian President Arnold Ruutel in an interview to Postimees stated that it is a mistake to think that all Baltic countries are Russia’s enemies. He expressed hope that more Russians will understand it in 2006.

Speaking about legacy of the past in Russia-Estonia relations, Ruutel noted that this burden could be lifted only by everyday labor that must be started today. “It can be done only by practical steps, like constructing of a new border bridge over the river of Narova, simplification of self-government of border nations, strengthening of cooperation in culture in science,” said Ruutel.

According to the president, one of the prerequisites to overcome of hard historical legacy is the recognition of unfair policy of the Soviet Union by Russia, and recognition of their sovereignty. “The Russian government may realize that the collapse of the Soviet Union was not a tragedy,” said Ruutel.