Group for contacts with Russia restored in Estonian parliament

Estonia's legislative assembly - Riigikogu - has restored a parliamentary group for contacts with Russia to involve 32 parliamentarians.

The group will be in charge of developing contacts between Estonian parliamentarians and their counterparts in Russia's State Duma and the Federation Council, Sergei Ivanov, a member of the ruling Party of Reforms, who heads this parliamentary group, said.

In particular, at issue will be the handling of "human" problems between the two countries proceeding from the bilateral legislative base, Ivanov explained. "Our parliamentary group intends to assist in establishing good-neighbourhood relations between Estonian and Russian citizens. This is of primary importance because Russian is the native language for a third of the Estonian population," Ivanov said.

In addition, the Estonian parliamentarian added, the group members will be busy establishing contacts with Russian colleagues at an international level - in PACE, the OSCE and regional organisations.