Yesterday, on November 6, President Lennart Meri and Mrs. Helle Meri began the state visit to Germany in Stuttgart, where President Meri visited the Daimler Chrysler plant at Sindelfingen and Dieter Zetsche, member of the board of Daimler Chrysler, gave a lunch to the Estonian delegation. Yesterday, President Meri and Mrs. Helle Meri also visited Geislingen, which was the biggest centre of Estonian refugees fleeing the Soviet power from 1945 onwards. The President also met Wolfgang Amann, the Mayor of Geislingen-upon-Steige, and laid a wreath on the monument of the Estonians of Geislingen.

On Monday evening, President Meri met Erwin Teufel, Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, who confirmed the support to Estonia's accession both to the European Union and NATO. Prime Minister Erwin Teufel and Mrs. Edeltraud Teufel hosted a dinner to President Meri and the Estonian delegation. In the evening, President Meri held a speech ''Enlargement of the European Union as the Motive Force of Europe'' in the Swabian Society and answered questions concerning Estonian power system's dependence on Russia, the non-Estonians living in Estonia, and the enlargement of NATO. Late Monday night, the delegation flew to Berlin on board a plane of the German air force.

On Tuesday morning, the official welcoming ceremony of the state visit took place in the Bellevue Palace of Berlin. The Federal President of Germany Johannes Rau and Mrs. Christina Rau welcomed President Lennart Meri and Mrs. Helle Meri. Delegations were introduced; among others, the Estonian delegation includes the Minister of Finance Siim Kallas, the Minister of Defence Jüri Luik, and the Rector of Tartu University, Academician Jaak Aaviksoo. After the official talks, where President Rau recognised Estonia''s development within recent years and success on the EU accession negotiations, the two Heads of State, as well as their spouses and the accompanying delegations, proceeded to the Charité Clinic of the Berlin Humboldt University, where, in the presence of the Presidents, the first TV bridge between Tartu University Clinic and the Charité Clinic took place in the framework of the Partnership for the Heart programme, which has been designed for improving the treatment of congenital heart diseases.

President Meri also met Eberhard Diepgen, the Mayor of Berlin, and discussed with him the developments in Europe. President Meri and Mayor Diepgen also took a walk to the gates of Brandenburg, and spoke of the need to preserve the Berlin wall as a symbol in the minds of future generations. Today's programme also included a visit to the Stasi archives, and the President gave a presentation on the Estonian-German business seminar arranged on the initiative of the Union of the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The text of the President's speech ''Economic Miracle on the Coasts of the Baltic Sea – without German Participation?'' is available on the President's homepage on the Internet address www.president.ee.

Tonight, the Federal President Johannes Rau and Mrs. Christina Rau will host a dinner in honour of the Estonian presidential couple at the Bellevue Palace.

Read more:

Der Staatsbesuch von Estlands Präsidenten Meri ist auch eine Rückkehr zu Stätten der Kindheit
Für Estland sind Nato und EU Symbole der Freiheit
Estlands Präsident Lennart Meri will sein Land in die europäischen Strukturen integrieren
Berlin für EU-Beitritt Estlands ab Ende 2002
Estlands Präsident Lennart Meri besucht Deutschland


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, November 7, 2000

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