Moscow, 29 September: Director of the Russian Institute for Political Studies and State Duma deputy Sergey Markov does not intend to apologize to Estonia and says that Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip should apologize himself for discrimination against Russian speaking citizens (in Estonia) and moving the Bronze Soldier monument.

"I will be ready to apologize when I am guilty of something. But when I say that I do not view Estonia as a democratic state, that is my opinion and my stance. If Mr Ansip can find logical reasons for me to apologize to the Estonian people, I would be very glad to do so, because I am interested in improving relations between Russia and Estonia. But in this case, I have nothing to apologize for," Markov told Interfax on Tuesday (29 September).

He added that it would be appropriate for Ansip to apologize himself. "I think that Ansip himself ought to apologize for conducting a discriminatory policy against Estonia's Russian-speaking citizens, which, without any exaggeration, is a policy of apartheid. He also ought to apologize for moving the Bronze Soldier monument from (Tallinn's) city center to a cemetery," Markov said.

Ansip said that he is ready to permit Markov and former Nashi (youth movement) leader, Vasiliy Yakemenko, to enter Estonia if they apologize. (Passage omitted)

Markov was put on Estonia's "black list" because he allegedly knew that his aide organized cyber attacks on Estonian websites during mass rallies of the Russian-speaking citizens in spring 2007, who protested against moving the Bronze Soldier monument. (Passage omitted)

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