Government approves support program for Estonians abroad

March 25 – The Estonian government approved a program of support for Estonian communities abroad for the 2004-2008 period. The aim of the program is to preserve the identity of Estonians and support their return into Estonia.

The main objective of the program is to establish which Estonian communities abroad are viable and provide them with steady support, a spokesman for the government said .In places where the number of Estonians is in decline the goal of the program is to secure the preservation of historical and cultural records in archives.

The program attaches importance to preservation of real estate owned by Estonian organizations and the state of Estonia.

Eldar Efeadujev, Minister of Ethnic Affairs wrote in a covering letter that the task of the program is to bridge the historical gap between Estonians living in the territories of the former Soviet Union and those in western countries. The minister observed that the Estonians in the East are more in need of direct material aid, but the Estonians in the East and the West alike can help Estonia to achieve its economic, political and cultural goals. A key priority of the program is to support the learning of the Estonian language and the Estonian culture in other countries, as well as the training of teachers of Estonian.

Estonia must conclude agreements with other countries to establish a legal basis for Estonian schools operating there. The state pledges to finance sending visiting teachers to Estonian communities abroad and higher educational institutions in this country are to admit 10 Estonian students from abroad every year in the 2004-2008 period.

The program further calls for supporting the activity of Estonian cultural societies. Their leaders are to be invited to Estonia for supplementary training.

According to the program, Estonians living abroad must be informed about the possibility of obtaining and restoring Estonian citizenship. Estonians abroad who carry an Estonian passport have closer ties with their country, consequently, granting them citizenship must be supported, the program says.

The minister’s office estimates the cost of the program in 2004 at 5.7 million kroons (EUR 364,000).

About 160,000 people or roughly 14 percent of Estonians live abroad.

From Estonian Review, March 23-30, 2003