NID: USSR: ESTONIANS CALL FOR INDEPENDENCE NEGOTIATIONS

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe: A 30-Year Legacy
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06826868
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 26, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 10, 2019
• Publication Date: February 3, 1990

Approved for Release: 2019/10/29 C06826868
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NR Record
USSR: Estonians Call for Independence Negotiations
In a meeting yesterday, Estonia's local and national legislators called
for negotiations with the USSR Supreme Soviet to establish Estonian
independence and appealed to the UN and to CSCE member nations
for support. The unofficial group formed a negotiating commission
and drew roughly 90 percent of Estonia's more than 4,300 legislators,
virtually all of whom endorsed the declaration
ationalist leaders as recently as last month wcrc asserting
at the push for negotiations would come only after the Estonian
Supreme Soviet election in March and a public referendum on the
issue of independence.
Comment: Public support in Estonia for a more aggressive pursuit
of independence is growing and apparently includes the backing of a
significant proportion of ethnic Russians in the republic. Moscow
probably will not go beyond a condemnation of the declaration. The
Estonians are likely to press preparations for a congress of "citizens"
in March�to be elected by more than 500,000 Estonians�which
they hope will accelerate their push for independence.
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TOrS)
TCS 2728/90
3 February 1990
Approved for Release: 2019/10/29 C06826868