President Lennart Meri sent his congratulations to the French President Jacques Chirac on the occasion of France assuming the Presidency of the European Union. President of the Republic expressed his conviction that France, as one of the leading countries of Europe, has excellent advantages for finalising the intergovernmental conference and thus opening the possibilities for the EU enlargement, and confirmed Estonia's commitment to participate in the renovation and strengthening process of the European Union.

''I am certain that this will – contrary to the doubts of some politicians – create successful preconditions for co-operation with transatlantic structures and also strengthen the European Union by making the European defence initiative on the one hand and NATO on the other hand two sides of the same coin,'' the President wrote. ''It is indeed a question why we should deny our friends from the United States the responsibility for security, when they themselves are prepared to assume this responsibility and the costs involved,'' the President added.

The President also reiterated his wish to use his last year in office for strengthening the relations between the two countries and nations. In his letter, President Meri also expressed his hope that President Chirac would have the opportunity to accept the invitation to visit Estonia that had been discussed at the Presidents’ last meeting at the Elysée Palace.

President Meri also wrote about his intention to arrange an exhibition of Estonian art in Paris in early summer 2001 in order to make Parisians and the French better acquainted with modern Estonian painting that succeeded in maintaining its strong roots in the XIX century French art despite Soviet occupation. ''I dare say that this symbiosis of French and Nordic art in the distant and unfortunately unknown francophonic Estonia will be a surprise to your fellow-countrymen. I hope that you will consent to share with me the patronage of this exhibition,'' President Meri wrote.

President of the Republic also congratulated President Chirac on the occasion of the forthcoming National Day of France.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, June 30, 2000

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