Gorbachev slams Estonian law on military graves

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev has slammed an Estonian bill that will allow the removal of a monument to Soviet troops killed during World War II from the center of Tallinn.
     "This gives the impression that they have created an occupation theory and now they are trying to squeeze all kinds of issues into its framework, including the issue of graves and monuments.  However, I don't think that any of this comes from the people," Gorbachev told Interfax.
It is possible that "this fuse is being lit somewhere outside the country," he said.
     "Estonia was to use the European Union as an example to follow, but even in Germany - I know this very well - all monuments are preserved and maintained. And in Russia, the remains of German soldiers get searched for and buried in graves, because they were soldiers and they didn't bear any responsibility for the policies of their states," Gorbachev said.
     "The history of relations between Russia and Estonia spans centuries and will continue," he said.
     "Of course, there have been various kinds of difficulties, including entries and exits, but all this needs to be got over, it's wrong to raise obstacles to cooperation, it's wrong to break our future," Gorbachev said.
     Russia needs to cooperate with Estonia, "and we shouldn't sink to the position of some governmental circles in Estonia," he said.
     "I put dialogue above everything else, and this should be conducted in a straightforward and honest way, being aware of the entire responsibility for the solution of this problem. It is very important that respectability and wisdom should be shown on both sides - one mustn't lose one's head or one's conscience," Gorbachev said.

Interfax, 16.01.2007