Advertising, Estonia, Financial Services

Press counsellor of the minister for ethnic affairs Olga Shlõk stated that two principal messages should reach people through different media channels. People with undefined citizenship are informed that when living in Estonia, it would be good for one to have the Estonian citizenship.

Those who have already acquired the Estonian passports, are persuaded that Estonia is a society that is tolerant towards other nationalities.

“We are sending two different messages on purpose as integration is a two-way process,” explained Shlõk.

“We were planning an even grander campaign in co-operation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but due to the shortage of funds, the ministry cancelled the campaign,” she added.

A new aspect of the campaign is the plan to start distributing folders for people with undetermined citizenship in public transport vehicles in Tallinn which urge residents to take citizenship exams. According to Shlõk, the volder includes a selections of questions asked during the citizenship exams and answers thereto.

The campaign also includes outdoor advertisements on integration.

While in the beginning of the year 2008 there were more than 116,000 stateless persons in Estonia, the bureau of the minister of ethnic affairs has established an objective that by the end of the year 2009 there would be less than 112,000 and by the year 2012 less than 107,000.