Address By The President Of The Republic Of Estonia October 6, 1992
06.10.1992

Women and Men of Estonia!
Citizens of the Republic of Estonia!


Fifty-three years ago the President of the Republic addressed you with these words. I am addressing you with these words today, on the Republic of Estonia President`s first day in office.

Estonian persistence and Estonian will have united us once again as the Republic of Estonia. The recent elections have shown the entire world, but foremost ourselves, that the Estonian people, you, the Estonian voters, have brought an end to your soviet past. In its first free elections, Estonia has chosen the free European democratic road.

Today we look at ourselves in the mirror of the election results. We see a frail and troubled Estonia, with many scars, some of which still bleed. But its expression is steadfast and friendly. True, economic hardships are before us. But these economic hardships will end as quickly as you, the men and women of Estonia, begin to believe in your own strength and begin to stand on your own two feet. The state supports you. The state will initiate wide-spread privatisation. You have been servants. You will become masters. And the Republic of Estonia will not allow for monopolies to develop, which will drive up prices and stuff your money in their pockets.

Estonia will be a worthy state only if it is able to protect its weak and defenceless. Many people live in Estonia who are not Republic of Estonia citizens. I turn to all of you today with outstretched arms and affirm that the Republic of Estonia is a just state. The Republic of Estonia President is a fair president for Estonian citizens and is also a fair president for all those who are not Estonian citizens. The Republic of Estonia guarantees citizens rights to all its citizens and human rights to all people, as they are written in UN and Council of Europe international conventions. Estonia“s legislative body, our Riigikogu is guided by them. I affirm to you all: Estonia is a just state.

The Republic of Estonia and its new Government will do all to ensure that the people can feel secure. That the state will no longer be robbed, that homes will not be violated, that you will feel protected at home, at work, walking in your fields or on the street. Creating a more effective Estonian Police, border guard and defence forces is, and will remain, a priority task. If we desire a just state, we must protect the just state.

In four months, the re-born Republic of Estonia will celebrate its 75th anniversary. In light of this, I feel it is necessary to emphasize to our partner states in all corners of the world that Estonia has been an open society since the days of the Tartu Peace, and will remain as such. Estonia was an active member of the League of Nations , the Council of Europe, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and its organizations, and in the Council of the Baltic Sea States, jointly founded on the initiative of the Federal Republic of Germany and Denmark. Estonia“s integration into Europe is of importance to us both for economic policy and defence policy. Our goal is a peaceful, secure and friendly North.

One precondition for this is the completion of the negotiations being held with the Russian Federation in a manner which serves the national interests of both sides and which lays a firm foundation for fruitful and friendly relations. Our priority task is, and will remain, the "rapid, orderly and complete" withdrawal of foreign military forces from Republic of Estonia territory in coordination with the final document of the CSCE summer summit. We are deeply convinced that an independent, equal and cooperative Estonia on the western border of the Russian Federation, along with its sister-states Latvia and Lithuania is as much in the interests of the Russian Federation, in the interests of a stable North, as it is in Estonia“s national interests.

Tomorrow, your president will begin meeting with the parliamentary fractions for the nomination of a candidate for Prime Minister. The Estonian people and the Republic of Estonia must quickly acquire a stable and trustworthy government. The eyes of the world are currently on Estonia. Men and women of Estonia, let us be worthy of this historical moment. With united strength, unanimity and selflessness, we have overcome the burdens of the past, now we must look towards the future. Only our roots will remain in the past, from which we will draw strength, hope and the wisdom of our forefathers in the manifest of independence, whose words, may they echo throughout the land: Estonia, you stand on the threshold of a promising future!