Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Estonian Government on the importance of defending and promoting freedom of religion in Estonia, in the context of the Government’s plans to ban the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church.

I am not aware of any plans by Estonia's government to ban the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church. The revised wording of Estonia's proposed Churches and Congregations Act Amendment simply states that religious organisations must not have links to religious organisations or leaders abroad that threaten the national security of Estonia; it does not give the Estonian government the power to ban religious organisations. The Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the Estonians on the matter. The UK is committed to promoting the freedom of religious belief for all and we work closely with international partners, including through the Article 18 Alliance, of which Estonia is a member, to champion freedom of religious belief around the world.