A high-level Russian delegation said Tuesday that its expected goals had been achieved in solving the dispute over the Estonian government's decision to remove a Soviet war memorial in Tallin.

The delegation of Russian lawmakers were winding up their visit here, after two days of talks with their Estonian counterparts and government officials.

During the visit, the Russian side received more detailed and objective information from representatives of the Estonian parliament, the defense ministry and the interior ministry, delegation chief Nikolai Kovalyov said.

The Russian delegation early Tuesday laid flowers and wreaths at the main military cemetery in Estonia, where the statue has been re-erected, in memory of the millions of Soviet soldiers who died in World War II.

The Estonian side promised to launch further investigations into the arrests and the death during the protests against the removal of the statue, Kovalyov said.

The Russian delegation thanked the Estonian side for its support and cooperation during the visit, and also expressed regret for not meeting the representatives of the arrested people and for not seeing the relocation of some Soviet soldiers' remains.

The Estonian government decided last Thursday to pull down the statue formerly located in Tynismyagi Square, provoking strong protests from Russian-speaking Estonians.

The government had said the statue along with the remains of a number of nearby Russian soldiers should be moved to a cemetery because their position near a busy intersection was an improper resting place.

But critics charged that the true reason was to pander to nationalists, who say the monument was a symbol of repression during Soviet rule of the country.

One man was stabbed to death and a hundred more were injured during clashes between protesters and the police. Russia also strongly criticized the move.

Source: Xinhua