"We like your party's weighted-out policy regarding Russia", Gryzlov said. And added that a number of unsettled questions still remain between Russia and Estonia. Savisaar's visit, Gryzlov hopes, will help in settling them very soon.
The speaker thanked his guest for the position held with regard to the Russian Orthodox Church in Estonia, particularly in connection with the resolution of questions regarding the residence of the Russian Patriarch in Tallinn.
Gryzlov also noted that Savisaar had many times raised in parliament questions on the position of Russian speakers in Estonia and the possibility of their naturalisation. He recalled that about 160,000 Russian speakers have no Estonian citizenship. During the meeting, the sides discussed an outlook for the development of interparliamentary contacts through factions and spoke up for setting a working group on Russian-Estonian economic cooperation.
Boris Gryzlov as the head of the United Russia faction, having a majority in the lower chamber of parliament, agreed with Savisaar that closer contacts should be established between the parties, presenting the majority in the two parliaments.
The State Duma chairman confirmed the interest of the Russian side in open dialogue towards the solution of problems of compatriots in Estonia. It is, above all, speeding up the naturalisation process, use of the Russian language in Estonia's educational institutions, protection of the rights of Russian pensioners, including military pensioners.
