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The President of the Republic at the Conference Dedicated to the Tenth Anniversary of the President of the Republic's Roundtable of National Minorities at Sakala Centre on 13 June 200313.06.2003
Minister,
Your Excellencies,
Dear participants!
Allow me to congratulate sincerely members of the Roundtable of National Minorities and its Chamber of Representatives of Cultural Societies on the first jubilee of the organisation. My gratitude goes to everybody who has helped to found and develop the organisation. Thanks to you we can talk about new traditions in treating and solving ethnic issues in the Republic of Estonia.
Throughout history various processes influence the evolution of population on a territory whereas migration, conquests, religious wars, social migration and emigration, resettlements to pursue military or political objectives and genocides play a decisive role. This has taken place also in Estonia.
To tell the truth, the ethnic minorities living in Estonia before World War II had a country of origin relatively close to Estonia vis-ą-vis territory and culture - they were Germans, Swedes, Russians, Latvians - or they represented an ethnos without a sovereign statehood.
In 1944-1990, Estonia could not pursue independent migration policy. According to the researchers, the migration in and out in that period involved about 1.4 million people born outside Estonia. Until recent time persons who migrated into Estonia in the above period were responsible for the absolute majority of all ethnic minorities. Citizens of EU Member States who have settled in Estonia in recent years have significantly increased the presence of several West-European nations in Estonia.
It is not insignificant to note that, in 1950-1989, the share of Estonians decreased steadily in the population of Estonia. Thus, after the restoration of independence Estonia faced a difficult task: to integrate the non-indigenous population, quite diversified in origin and relatively little adjusted to Estonian culture, as an natural part of Estonia whereas each of the ethnic groups should maintain its ethnic and cultural identity.
As we all remember from recent past, the year 1988 brought along a new tide in national movement in Estonia. Together with the Estonians many an ethnic minority became involved in the process. The Jews living in Estonia were the first to found an ethnic society in January 1988, followed in February by Swedes living in Estonia. By July, more than ten ethnic organisations had been established. According to the long-term president of the Estonian Union of National Minorities Ants-Enno Lõhmus, national flags of the Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Byelorussia, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden were hoisted next to freely flying blue, black and white national flags of Estonia, to convey the solidarity of Estonia's ethnic minorities with the aspirations of the Estonians.
To join different and individual ethnic groups into an integrated whole, they should have common, cognised objectives. On the initiative of the Popular Front, the Estonian Forum of Nations took place on 22 September 1988. The underlying theme was severe criticism of Soviet national policy, which denied any national feelings. In next May, the Estonian Union of National Minorities was established, with the main aim to protect the rights and socio-economic, political as well as cultural interests of ethnic minorities and groups living in Estonia. The main criterion of membership was recognition and respect of Estonia's sovereignty and priority of the interests of the indigenous people.
After the restoration of independence, Representative Assembly, associating Russian-speaking organisations and Estonian Union of National Minorities, called on to establish a consultation body representing national minorities at the Office of the President or the Riigikogu. The actual impetus was the political crisis in North-East-Estonia, especially in Narva in the summer of 1993. The situation required rapid alleviation of tensions and a dialogue in ethnic relations. On 10 July 1993 President Lennart Meri convened a roundtable - a standing convention of representatives of nationalities and ethnic minorities, political parties and stateless persons.
Discussing various issues in the life of the state and society, the Roundtable as an independent body has aspired to develop stability and mutual understanding between groups of population in Estonia. At the beginning of this year Chamber of Representatives of Cultural Societies of National Minorities was convened. Today 139 cultural societies are represented in the Chamber.
The Roundtable of National Minorities has worked together both with committees of the Riigikogu and the Office of the Minister of Population and Ethnic Affairs. The Roundtable has made a major contribution to drafting of legislation with analysis of problems and specific proposals. Within international cooperation conferences and seminars have been held, the topics of which have been of interest both in Estonia and abroad.
The conference today is a good example of the Roundtable's intent and ability to have a say in substantial issues. Estonia's upcoming accession to the European Union, which the people have to resolve at the referendum on 14 September, will link our current local problems in the EU context, provided that our analysis and conceptions become also more general, European. Civic rights, including also civic responsibility, are topics, which need to be understood and discussed in a new context.
However, we have acquired ten-year experience of resolution of problems arising from co-existence of different nations and cultures. We do not know as yet answers to all the questions. And maybe even some essential problems have not yet been formulated. However, we have courageously set out on our way and there is no turning back - towards cooperating and democratic Europe in its enriching cultural and ethnic diversity.
Enjoy this diversity.
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