Strong Estonian Support on Climate Change and Internet

C O N F I D E N T I A L TALLINN 000017 SIPDIS STATE FOR THE SECRETARY FROM MIKE POLT STATE FOR EUR: A/S PHIL GORDON STATE FOR EUR/NB E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/27 TAGS: PREL PGOV SENV EN SUBJECT: Strong Estonian Support on Climate Change and Internet Freedom. Eager to help set the Record Straight on Haiti Assistance REF: STATE 3080; STATE 6918; SECRETARY'S SPEECH ON INTERNET FREEDOM CLASSIFIED BY: Marc Nordberg, Pol/Econ Chief, State; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) Classified by Ambassador Michael Polt for Reasons 1.4 B & D. ¶1. (C) I delivered messages on Copenhagen, Haiti and Internet Freedom to Prime Minister Andrus Ansip on January 26. Ansip was fully supportive on all counts. Estonia is joining the EU consensus to subscribe to the Copenhagen climate accord and believes the major developing countries must do so also. Ansip explained that Estonia will benefit from slowing global warming, from reducing pollution, as well as benefitting economically as a current and future producer and innovator of clean energy technology. He praised President Obama's efforts in Copenhagen, but was disappointed by the obstructionism he saw from some countries, including China, Venezuela and Bolivia. ¶2. (C) Ansip appreciated our information on USG relief efforts in Haiti. While noting that no one in Estonia believes that American efforts are anything less than noble, Ansip admitted he sometimes receives uninformed questions from Parliament which this information will help him counter. Ansip also said that Estonia, as a leader in information technology, fully supports internet freedom. In fact, he had a copy of the Secretary's speech already and was eager to explore with us ways in which Estonia and the United States can cooperate to promote internet freedom and innovation as a democracy tool. He is hoping to parlay Estonia's IT expertise and enthusiasm into Estonia hosting the EU's IT Agency. ¶3. (C) In other issues, Ansip unequivocally stated that Estonia will liberalize its domestic energy market by April 1, in part to support creation of the Estlink 2 electrical cable to Finland. He also expressed his gratitude for the recent USG decision to provide Estonia with USD 5.2 million worth of military equipment under 1206 funding. POLT