Jaak Aaviksoo, the Rector of Tartu University, handed over the Johan Skytte Medal to President Lennart Meri at the Tartu University History Museum this afternoon. The Tartu University Council decided on February 23, 2001, to confer the Skytte Medal on President Lennart Meri to recognise his contribution to the reinstatement of the name of Tartu University and the mediation, restoration and establishment of the University’s contacts on global plane, and for his lasting adherence to the principles expressed by Johan Skytte at the opening ceremony of Tartu University.

On the festive ceremony, speeches were held by Margus Laidre, who spoke of the Swedish times, and Peeter Olesk, who spoke of the Estonian times in Estonia.

When accepting the medal, the President of the Republic thanked Tartu University and the speakers. The President continued in his speech on the themes taken up by the previous speakers: the relations between education and lack of education in Estonia; as the President said, the creation of education and culture here at a far northern latitude requires much more energetic effort than it does in, for instance, subtropical regions, the native home of humankind. The President also mentioned that Estonia has a possibility to provide its own power supply, which is a favourable precondition for becoming part of the Nordic energy circle.





Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, March 26, 2001

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