President Martti Ahtisaari telephoned President Meri on Friday morning and expressed his deepest condolences both to the families of the volunteers, who perished in the course of the peacekeeping battalion exercises, and to the Republic of Estonia. President Ahtisaari remembered a similar accident at the exercises of the Finnish Defence Force and emphasised that he fully understands and shares the mourning of Estonians.

President Meri thanked the Republic of Finland for the prompt and efficient assistance in the rescue operations and promised to immediately pass on President Ahtisaari’s sincere condolences to the relatives of the casualties and to the people of Estonia.


President’s Office Information Service
Kadriorg, September 12, 1997

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