VZCZCXRO1532
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTL #0103 0711403
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111403Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0552
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI 0175

UNCLAS TALLINN 000103 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EU NATO GG EN
SUBJECT: ESTONIA: PM ANSIP's VISIT TO GEORGIA 
 
¶1. (U) Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip visited 
Georgia February 4-6 (his first trip as Prime Minister). 
Following the visit, Kyllike Sillaste Elling, the PM's 
Foreign Policy Advisor, briefed interested journalists 
and diplomats on highlights of the trip. 
 
-- PM Ansip met with President Saakashvili, Speaker of 
Parliament Nino Burjanadze, Prime Minister Lado 
Gurgenidze, and Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili. 
The PM was accompanied by a 22-person Estonian business 
delegation. 
 
-- In his meetings, PM Ansip noted that events in 
November had cost Georgia a large part of its 
credibility.  GOG officials acknowledged mistakes and 
expressed a desire to learn from them.  The GOG also 
recognized the need to open and support a productive 
dialogue with members of the Georgian opposition in 
order to develop a positive program to move Georgia 
forward. 
 
-- PM Ansip expressed strong support for Georgia's NATO 
aspirations, including a NATO Membership Action Plan 
(MAP) for Georgia at the Bucharest Summit.  At the same 
time, PM Ansip made clear NATO accession is a multi- 
tiered process and will not happen quickly. 
 
-- PM Ansip stressed that moving closer to the EU will 
take time.  GOG officials asked for GOE assistance 
formalizing a visa facilitation process with the EU, 
noting they believe the current system is discriminatory 
towards Georgian citizens (in favor of Russians). 
 
-- GOG officials also expressed concern that recognition 
of Kosovo would be used as a precedent.  They pointed 
out that frozen conflicts (e.g. Abkhazia, South Ossetia) 
are each unique and should be treated separately. 
(NOTE: On March 7, the Spokesperson for the MFA 
reiterated to local press that Estonia does not believe 
Kosovo should be compared to frozen conflicts in the 
former Soviet Union and the GOE does not plan to 
recognize Abkhazia, South Ossetia or other conflict 
areas.  End Note.) 
 
-- PM Ansip and his delegation also had meetings with 
Georgian businesspeople where they drew attention to the 
need for Georgia to orient its economy towards markets 
outside of Russia.  (Note:  According to Estonian 
statistics, during 2007, Estonians invested 
approximately USD 7 million in the Georgian food 
industry, primarily in nuts and wine.  End Note.) 
 
¶2. (U) During his visit, PM Ansip committed to sending a 
media advisor to Georgia.  On March 13, Ainar Ruussaar, 
the former head of Estonian TV (currently with the 
Baltic News Service) and Allar Joks, the former 
Chancellor of Justice, will go to Georgia to share 
Estonia's media reform experience with Georgian state- 
owned TV executives. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Although PM Ansip did not meet directly with 
representatives of the opposition during his visit, on 
March 10-11, Georgian opposition leaders (Levan 
Gatsetsiladze, Salome Zurabisvili, David Usupasvili and 
Kakha Kukava) traveled to Tallinn.  They met with PM 
Ansip, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, members of 
Parliament, journalists and others.  Simmu Tiik, 
Estonian MFA Director of the Third Political Department, 
told us that the GOE views the visit by Georgian 
opposition leaders as an opportunity for Estonia to 
illustrate what is expected of an opposition group in 
the European political arena.  The GOE wants the 
Georgian opposition leadership to understand the rules 
and methods of productive political engagement, and how 
opposition groups can become a network of checks and 
balances for a sitting administration. 
 
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT: The GOE remains committed to promoting 
democracy at EUR's frontiers of freedom. Prime Minister 
Ansip's visit represents ongoing GOE's efforts to 
promote reform in Georgia and to support Georgian 
efforts toward NATO and EU Membership.  In addition to 
high-level political support, Georgia is a priority 
recipient of Estonian development assistance.  In 2007, 
Estonia's official development assistance to Georgia 
more than doubled (from about USD 456,000 to USD 1.04 
million.) End Comment. 
 
PHILLIPS