Estonia evacuates embassy staff families from Moscow

Moscow, May 2 (UNI) The former Soviet Baltic Republic of Estonia has evacuated the families of its diplomats from its embassy here today.

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told the parliament in Tallinn today that the staff of the Estonian embassy in Moscow had come under 'psychological and physical attacks'.

''In these conditions we were forced to evacuate the families of the embassy personnel,'' Interfax news agency quoted Mr Paet as saying.

About 100 activists of the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi (Ours) tried to break into the office of the Argumenty i Fakty newspaper, to disrupt the press conference of the Estonian Ambassador Marina Kaljurand here today.

The protestors raised slogans ''No to fascism''. Some of them were able to enter the building, where the press conference was being held.

Ms Kaljurand told reporters that Estonia was not responsible for the lack of constructive dialogue with Russia, over the removal of the Bronze Soldier memorial from the centre of Tallinn, last Friday.

The exhumation and the removal of a statue of Soviet soldiers who fought against Nazis in WW-II, triggered violent protests, largely by ethnic Russians in Tallinn. One Russian was killed, over 150 people were injured in clashes with the police, and more than 1,000 were arrested.

A delegation of Russian lawmakers who visited Tallinn yesterday to study the situation on the ground, will submit report to the State Duma, the lower house of Parliament, on May 10.

About 150 activists of Nashi are continuing to picket at the Estonian embassy in Moscow. Earlier in the day, about 20 members of Nashi blocked a highway near the state border with Estonia in the Leningrad region, stopping five Estonian trucks.

''We have blocked five Estonian trucks on a highway from the city of Ivangorod, but we are letting other cars pass by,'' sources told RIA Novosti news agency. The police dispersed the picketers and detained 11 activists.

Ms Kaljurand also said Russia had refused to send observers to the exhumation and identification procedure of the 12 soldiers buried near the Bronze Soldier memorial.

''We proposed sending an observer to monitor the excavation process, but Russia refused,'' she said, adding that ''Estonia's readiness for a dialogue is again rejected by Russia.'' Moscow has repeatedly drawn the European Union's attention to attempts by Estonia to glorify Nazi Germany, including allowing parades by former Nazi SS fighters.

Estonia declared independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and joined NATO and the EU in 2004.

UNI