Azerbaijan, Baku, 3 July / Trend corr R.Agayev, E.Tanriverdiyeva, V.Zhavoronkova/ Moscow is considering Estonian President's statements about 'the choice in favour of freedom and democracy' of Finno-Ugric nations as a call to split Russia, though Europe thinks that does not pose a threat to the territorial integrity of Russian Federation.
"The core of the statement is that the right for self-determination envisages privilege for Finno-Ugric nations to use the treasures of the soil on which they live," Russian political scientist Mikhail Remizov said.
"Probably, that was a philosophic statement. It cannot be considered as pressure upon nations to make them separate," Estonian political scientist Kadri Liyk said.
At the 5th World Congress of the Finno-Ugric nations which took place in Khanty-Mansiyks, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said: "Our poets dreamed of an Estonian state. And we made a choice in favour of freedom and democracy", adding "many Finno-Ugric nations are still to make this choice."
Out of 24 Finno-Ugric and Samodi nations three ( Hungary, Estonia and Finland) have their State system, while 19 nations are densely populated in Russia.
Chairman of the State Duma's Committee on Foreign Policy Konstantin Kosachev strictly reacted to Ilves's statements. "Many people just did not understand what he meant. He quite clearly called on Finno-Ugric nations of Russia to think about self-determination. I think it was incorrect towards the nations participating in the forum, it is incorrect in terms of interstate relations between Estonia and Russia, it is not good for a President of a sovereign country," Kosachev said.
According to RBK, on 30 June, Ilves rejected the reports that he had called on Finno-Ugric nations populating Russia for self-determination. President said he had been wrongly understood.
However, Russia is sure that Estonian president spoke of not philosophical concepts, but separation of the Finno-Ugric people from Russia.
"Though the Estonian President expressed his views in an abstract way, he made unambiguous statements. They can cause international scandal and these statements were expressed in a free and easy manner from the viewpoint of the current diplomatic standards," Remizov, President of the National Strategy Institute said to Trend .
According to the political expert, Finno-Ugric problem is quite acute and it is one of the vulnerable points of the Russian policy in its relations with EU. The EU countries have attached more attention to the self-determination of Finno-Ugric people for a long time, he said.
According to the political expert, the advantage of the self-determination for the Finno-Ugric people is that they will have control over the treasures of the soil within the territory they live. "It can be mines for the Russian government. Undoubtedly, treasures of the soil and territory should be announced the property of the Russian people, but not various people living on it," Remizov said.
According to the political expert, on one hand, Russia should favor the development of the culture of the Finno-Ugric people and to admit their high status in Russia, on the other hand, to eliminate the chances of using self-determination rights to claim the treasures of soil.
According to expert, the statement of the Estonian President can not but further aggravate relations between Russia and Estonia. " Estonia does not accept intervention with its relations with Russia, however Russia can stipulate its terms on the Soviet history, conditions of Russians in the Baltic region and that of Finno-Ugric people in Russia," said President of the National Strategy Institute.
Estonian politicians do not consider Ilves's words as challenge to separation. The Director of the Center for Defense Studies and Editor-in-Chief of Diplomaatia magazine, Kadri Liyk, says that it is not available to assess that Ilves's statement as speech putting people before choice.
According to her, if to consider common tolerance of the statement, this speech was of quite other level. "I would not explain this speech word-for-word. I would say that it is of other flatness, more philosophical than political one," Liyk reported to Trend by telephone.
The same opinion is supported by the European specialist for Estonia, David J. Galbreath. According to him, President Ilves was making a statement regarding how committed Finno-Ugric people may or may not be to holding onto their Finno-Ugric culture and identity
"In other words, he is recognizing the choices a small minority must make in a large nation, much like Estonia did during the Soviet times," Galbreath, Professor of Department of Politics and International Relations of University of Aberdeen, reported to Trend via e-mail.
According to the Professor, Ilves was not challenging the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.
However, the Russian government might portray it this way. According to Galbreath, already the Russian-Estonian relationship is challenged by bad feelings in Tallinn and Moscow over the 'Bronze Soldier' Crisis. "No doubt the Russian government will use this to strengthen their claim that Estonia is a trouble maker," Galbreath added.