Estonia won't annul residence permits granted to Russian citizens staying legally - Interior Ministry

TALLINN. March 2 (Interfax) - The Estonian Interior Ministry has said it will not annul residence permits granted to Russian citizens legally staying in the country.

"The rumors that have been spread in the past few days on depriving Russian citizens of their residence permits are baseless. The Russian citizens staying in Estonia on legal grounds and living here do not have to worry," Estonian Interior Minister Kristian Jaani said.

As a democratic state, Estonia guarantees the rights of all of its residents, he said.

"In line with the Aliens Act, a residence permit may be annulled or not renewed only for those who have breached the terms of their residency permit," he said.

The people living in Estonia are not discriminated against based on their nationality, language, or ethnicity, he said.

"All we want is that those who live here should care about Estonia and treat the state with respect," Jaani said.