LEADING ESTONIAN MP DISCUSSES RUSSIA

UNCLAS TALLINN 000588 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION EUR/NB FOR KATHERINE GARRY INR FOR STOLTENBERG AND INR/B H FOR BETSY FITZGERALD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR RU GG EN SUBJECT: LEADING ESTONIAN MP DISCUSSES RUSSIA REF: A) TALLINN 519 B) TALLINN 547 ¶1. (SBU) During a recent meeting with the Ambassador, Marko Mihkelson, head of the Parliament's EU Affairs Committee, highlighted as important issues: regional security and stability issues, Russia and President Vladimir Putin's political future, and Russia's re-tooling of history. He also emphasized Estonia's need to counter recent hostile rhetoric from Moscow. A serious thinker in Parliament on foreign policy, Mihkelson's views and concerns on Russia reflect those of numerous other Estonian interlocutors, both in and out of government. -- Georgia: Mihkelson asserted that Georgia is the most important hotspot in the region. "The EU cannot give up on Georgia" he said, given that it is symbolically vital, and "Russia only accepts those who stand up for themselves." -- Chechnya: Mihkelson is a former journalist who covered the first Chechen War. He has made numerous trips to the Caucusus, maintaining contact with many key players in the region. During his last trip, Mikhelson said, he found the journey by car from Grozny into the Chechen mountains smoother and obstructed by fewer checkpoints than on previous visits. -- Russia: Mihkelson, who still has many contacts within the Russian media, noted the lack of any press freedom in Russia - except for in some small print newspapers with limited circulation. He asserted that the "Kremlin's political technologists are doing a good job" preparing for the March 2008 elections to the Russian Duma. All signs point to United Russia winning about 60 percent of the vote, he said. However, Mihkelson feels that Putin's regime is unstable. While it is likely Putin will leave office next year, he will be back as president again in less than four years, Mikhelson predicted. -- Russian history and nationalism: "Russia is using history as a weapon," Mihkelson said in reference to accusations from Moscow that Estonia harbors fascist sympathies and a lack of respect for the Soviet Union's sacrifices during WWII. At a time when Russia should be working to address its demographic, health and infrastructure problems, he said, it is creating more tension with the West. Mikhelson also drew the Ambassador's attention to this summer's meeting of the Russian nationalist youth organization "Nashi" ("Ours"), and a professionally produced recruiting video which encourages Russian youth to join the army because war with the resource-hungry United States is inevitable. Note: The video can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_jNBieB4d8. End note) -- Travel to Washington: Mikhelson mentioned his interest in traveling to Washington in March 2008 and asked for assistance setting up meetings with the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SCFR). Bio Information ¶2. (SBU) Marko Mihkelson is Chairman of the Estonian Parliament's EU Affairs Committee, which is responsible for adopting EU legislation into Estonian law and crafting Estonia's positions on many issues in Brussels. He is a highly respected expert in the Estonian government on Russia and energy security. He has called for a stronger EU position on energy in response to Russia's attempts to control gas supply and distribution. Mihkelson has also advocated for a stronger Estonian response to the rising level of hostile rhetoric in Russia directed at Estonia, the U.S. and the West. ¶3. (SBU) Mihkelson, whose professional career began in journalism, worked as Postimees' Moscow correspondent from 1994 to 1997. (Note: Postimees is Estonia's paper of record. End note.) During this time, he covered Chechnya and he has traveled frequently in the Caucasus. In 1999, Mikhelson founded the Baltic Center for Russian Studies and was its director from 2000 to 2003. He was first elected to the Parliament in 2003 and is a member of the Pro Patria-Res Public (IRL) Party. ¶4. (U) Mihkelson has a good working relationship with the Embassy. He has met Senators Biden and Lugar on past visits to Washington. PHILLIPS