greed that until 30 September 1995,
the base territory would belong to Estonia and the nuclear object to Russia.
To help depoliticise the Paldiski negotiations the Swedish government initiated the Paldiski International Expert Advisory Group with experts from Sweden, Germany, the US and other countries.
The environmental damage in the Baltic States from the fifty-year presence of Soviet troops is estimated to run into the tens of billions of dollars. The US government donated 2 million USD dollars for environmental work at Paldiski. The Paldiski site is currently being managed by state company AS Alara.
Former President of the Republic of Estonia H.E. Lennart Meri at a Conference in Frankfurt on 23 September 1994:
"Unlike Germany, where the 31st of August is regarded as the end of the post-World-War-II period, the Republic of Estonia treats the 31st of August as the end of World War II itself on the territory under the jurisdiction of Estonia. This is a turning point for the improvement of our relations with the Russian Federation, and we have to make the most to expand and deepen this historic opportunity."