Today, the Board of Elders of the Defence League, of which also President Lennart Meri is a member, convened at Kadriorg.

Lieutenant-General Johannes Kert, who is the Chief Elder of the Young Eagles, delivered to President Meri the Badge of the North Eagle, which is the highest award of the Young Eagles, and which earlier has only been conferred on Konstantin Päts, the first President of Estonia..

On the meeting of the Board of Elders of the Defence League, the plan for distributing the Defence Leagu's next year's budget was deliberated, and reports were delivered on the activities of the Young Eagles and the public relations of the Defence League.

Lennart Meri, Peeter Lorents, Meelis Paavel, Peeter Olesk, Aivar Kaldjärv, Lieutenant-General Johannes Kert, Enn Tarto, Rear Admiral Tarmo Kõuts, Mart Siimann, Tiit Tammsaar, Laine Tarvis, Trivimi Velliste, Toivo Tootsen and Endel Lippmaa were present at the meeting of the Board of Elders. Also Captain Benno Leesik, Major Riho Terras and members of the Central Board Andres Mihkels, Hans Nurk and Tiit Kivikas were present at the meeting.

President Lennart Meri thanked the Defence League for the honour bestowed on him. President Meri also recognised the activities of the Defence League, which are now making the Defence League into an organisation as worthy as it used to be before World War II.











Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, November 23, 2000

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