At the end of April was held in Moscow exhibition “TransRussia” introduced a new brand of Estonia, “Estonia – a paradise for business.” As if to confirm this, despite all the complexities of relations between Russia and Estonia, the Russian company “Transgarant”, part of FESCO-known Russian businessman Sergei Generalov, Has signed with a subsidiary of Estonian Railways (Eesti Raudtee) AS EVR CARGO, a three-year frame contract of freight forwarding services. Under the contract, “Transgarant” provides the Estonian operator universal and specialized vehicles for transportation of cargo and containers at the “1520″. Parties reported that their manufacturing and financial capabilities give them a foundation to establish long term cooperation for the mutual use of rolling stock.
This agreement is a natural extension of victory in March this year, the Russian transport holding Rail Garant, affiliated with the structures of Sergei Generalov, the competition to build a container terminal in the Estonian port of Muuga. The business plan, Rail Garant intends to turn the container terminal in Muuga reference container transshipment point for Russian exports and imports. Chairman of the Board of the Tallinn port Neynar Seli, Explaining that the decision of the board, said that “in deciding the determining factor was the innovative business plan Rail Garant, according to which the terminal will be used primarily for the needs of Russian exports, which in turn means new opportunities for Russian importers, as it will carry fully loaded containers in both directions. “
It is noteworthy that at the end of last year, Sergei Generalov met with Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia, one of the leaders of the radical Russophobic party “Fatherland Union and ResPublica” Juhan Parts. At this meeting, attended by a member of the board of the Tallinn port, odnopartiets Juhan Parts, Indrek Raudne. Then Estonian portal delfi.ee said that the interest of a Russian businessman concerned competition for the status of the container terminal operator Muugaskogo port of Tallinn. It is obvious that this meeting was largely determined by the success of the structures Generalov, the competition for almost a monopoly position in the transit of Russian container flows through Estonia.
Company FESCO, the main asset of which is Far Eastern Shipping Company has an extensive network of container terminals, as in the Far East and in the European part of Russia. However, after the FESCO from large-scale project of development of Russian ports in the Baltic Sergei Generalov took a personal window to Europe. With the victory Rail Garant in the competition for manipulation of a container terminal in Muuga and the contract with the Estonian Railways Russian entrepreneur creates a transit corridor, the Pacific Ocean – the Baltic Sea bypassing Russian ports. In addition, under certain efforts to redistribution of financial flows, the participation of Estonian ports will derive from Russia to Estonia a significant portion of profits from operations in the Pacific-Baltic trade route, whose importance for Russia in the near future will be strategic, to a large extent determined by geopolitics Russia’s status in the world.
Given that the Rail Garant won the Estonian competition, even with no experience of operating container terminals, Estonia – a true paradise for business Sergei Generalov, but Estonian media reported that the Minister of Economy and Communications Juhan Parts, have the inner-pressure to cancel a transaction with Russian holding Rail Garant.
Media reported that members of the board port of Tallinn, which includes the port of Muuga, members of the Estonian parliament and party fellows Parts Tõnis Palts and participated in the meeting and the Estonian Minister Generalov Indrek Raudne require the board to dismiss the port of Tallinn, as it preferred to give the new terminal in the “hands of the Russian transport giant,” instead that would ensure the transfer of the terminal into the hands of the Chinese. But soon the more powerful Palts withdrew his claim – it can be assumed that the “explanations” Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications him satisfied. This message is not important that the conflict seems to be so far settled, it is important that in accordance with the Estonian political culture has been designated position for political control of the Russian investor, and the pressure on him – a threat avoidance, justified by the interests of the Estonian nation. Participation in this action, “Changeling” Raudne extremely revealing.
Notably, in 2006, Sergei Generalov has already attempted to enter the Estonian market transit – he tried to buy the American company Baltic Rail Service (BRS) of Estonian Railways, however, then a possible deal in the country prevented vliyatelnyshaya secret service – Security Police of Estonia ( CAPO – KaPo), which considered the transition of the Estonian Railways to Russian businessman property threat to the security of Estonia.
This is not the first time that not only Russian business in Estonia is the Estonian national games held hostage by the elite. Ironically, the first victim of the Estonian ethnocracy became notorious oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, for release today by Estonian politicians have advocated, and yet, in the early 90s of last century, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, had bankrupted the Estonian branch of the bank, “GML”, as was threatened with arrest by Estonian law enforcement agencies, by the way, because of tax evasion. But the Estonian media relished it was politically motivated this case – say buying “Menatep” administering according to the Estonian press the “Golden Party” lands withdrawn from Estonia, the Russian military units was a clear threat to the independence of Estonia.
Just a few years was forced with great effort and considerable financial losses to withdraw investments made in Estonia, the founder of the Egyptian resort of Hurghada Ernesto Preotoni. He also, like Khodorkovsky, has been declared by the Estonian authorities and criminal tax case in arriving in the territory of Estonia should have been arrested. However, there is evidence that in fact it was essential Preotoni political component – the Estonian firm Preotoni unexpectedly acted as a human rights organization, and initiated in the European courts a number of successful cases against Estonia, as, according to Italian investors, language requirements, which the Estonian state put forth by the activities of foreign companies that would prejudice the freedom of enterprise. But before the Estonian ethnocracy was powerless even a highly respected representative of the Sicilian family.
In the mid-2000s during the past three years, an epic scandal in Estonia, the executive director of the Russian transport company “Severstaltrans” (now H-trans) Andrei Filatov.
In 2006 Andrey Filatov – CEO, monopolize, according to the Estonian analytics Raivo Vare, almost 90% of the transit of Russian energy to Europe, suddenly expressed his intention to renounce his Russian citizenship and swear allegiance to the Republic of Estonia. Chairman of the Estonian Centre Party Edgar Savisaar, The then Minister of Economy and Communications, in a letter sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Estonia to consider the question of granting Estonian citizenship Filatov, a Russian businessman called “the principal designer and implementer of new oil transit strategy in Estonia.”Mark Pomerantz and Herkel appealed to the Prime Minister of Estonia Andrus Ansip with an appeal to refuse to grant of Estonian citizenship Andrei Filatov. Authors of the statement asserted that Filatov took part in the “propaganda attack against the Estonian state”, funding a journalistic documentary film “Estonia – a crossroads of history” who “distort historical events in Estonia.” The main actor movie was Hero of the Soviet Union, the chairman of the Antifascist Committee of Estonia Arnold Meri, Who denied “the fact that the Soviet occupation” of Estonia. While Andrey Filatov said he did not share the ideas presented in the film, the dream of becoming an Estonian to Russian businessman, part of the list when Rich Forbes, remained unfulfilled.
Frustration Andrei Filatov go to Estonian citizenship has evolved against a background of more serious problems arising from a subsidiary company “Severstaltrans” Speiscom operates cargo transportation in the Baltic area. In 2004, Estonian Railways closed the company with Russian capital, access to the infrastructure of the railway. In 2005, CAPO-KaPo detained for two days, the head of Spacecom Oleg Ossinovskogo, Accusing him of cartel. In 2006, in his yearbook CAPO-KaPo accused “Severstaltrans” in an attempt to undermine the economic security of Estonia.
Estonian epic for Andrei Filatov, as well as other transit business is over, when the Estonian government dismantled the monument in central Tallinn to Soviet soldiers-liberators – April 27, 2007. Began a sharp drop in Russian cargo transit through Estonia, the consequences of which affect the present day.
It is particularly noteworthy that in all these stories of political persecution customers businessmen and investors were prominent figures in the radical nationalist party “Union of the Fatherland Union and ResPublica”, in the political arsenal is loud Russophobic, anti-Russian rhetoric and public glorification of Estonian Nazi accomplices involved in the murder of Jews and many others in concentration camps, the troops Waffen SS, participated in the battles with the Red Army. Executor of political and economic order have always been radical Estonian Estonian law enforcement agencies in the first place, CAPO-KaPo. In Estonia today, this structure is comparable to the NKVD in the 1930s, as the methods of work, and on and influence and power, and lack of control by other state institutions significantly superior to Stalin’s repressive organs.
It is surprising that the former Minister of the Russian Federation, a prominent businessman, Sergei Generalov is solved for the second time step on the same rake … But it is possible to assume that at this time – showing a personal example adherence to the principles of fair competition, transparency and competition law – he has some specific guarantees of the Estonian government.
In light of these facts intraparty conflict precedent Minister of Economy and Communications Juhan Parts with their colleagues in Russo-phobia and make heroes of Nazi collaborators, highlights a number of issues that today there is no answer.
The first question on the terms of the transaction Sergei Generalov with Estonian radical nationalists – it is not clear that he could promise them a Russian businessman to the fact that the Security Police of Estonia have changed their negative opinion about his presence in the Estonian transit complex?
The second question arises about the possible withdrawal of Estonia transit revenues from the Pacific-Baltic trade route passing through Russia completely.
The third question is: who would dare to try and guarantee that generated Generalov in Estonia “base” does not become a means of control over Russia’s most important transportation corridor, a reference resource for geopolitical blackmail Russia Baltic radical nationalists.
Already was, and before the port for transshipment of energy from the Russian territory, and to the gas crisis with Ukraine and Belarus, these attempts transit blackmail. Who will pay today – now for the Estonian business ex-minister Generalova?
