It is a fact that Estonia needs foreign labor, whether we’re talking about seasonal or long-term work, including people who bring a lot of value added, such as IT professionals. While Estonians need to be ensured jobs first and foremost, I see no way around foreign labor.
Can you promise farmers that Ukrainians will be allowed in this summer?
We have already discussed it with [Minister of Rural Affairs] Urmas Kruuse and have put it on the agenda. The harvest going to waste would be the worst option. We cannot afford a situation where we do not have enough people to get the job done.
Moving on to the Estonia shipwreck investigation. Victims’ relatives are concerned that there will be another superficial investigation where no real effort is made to ascertain the truth. Can you promise that will not happen?
Suspicions need to be put to bed. I want the next of kin of MS Estonia victims to find peace of mind.
The previous interior minister said that dispelling all doubt would require lifting the hull off the seabed.
I’m not a specialist to be able to tell you how it could be achieved.
You own a recreational craft. Is it a speedboat, yacht or sailboat?
It is an inflatable boat 2.8 meters long that fits in a gym bag when packed. Estonian law requires one to register such a boat as a recreational craft.
I go fishing. I have another such boat for going to sea, lakes and rivers.
Will you have to forget about those hobbies now?
Definitely not. A person needs to have a way or a place to let off steam. One cannot spend one’s life commuting between one’s home and office.