In his letter to President Lennart Meri, the President of the United States of America expresses his regret that the two Presidents had been unable to meet on the OSCE Summit in Istanbul, and thanks President Meri for the letter explaining his reasons for staying away from the summit.

As President Clinton writes, the summit's unambiguous message that a purely military solution is not possible in Chechnya is to be considered positive. President Clinton also points to the CFE Treaty, limiting the conventional forces in Europe, which directly speaks to the concerns of a number of Russia's neighbours. The Charter signed in Istanbul recognises that the greatest threats to security today are as likely to come from conflicts that begin within States as between them. The handling of such threats is the new task of OSCE. ''I am confident that Estonia, under your leadership, will continue to contribute to the role OSCE can play in promoting European security,'' President Clinton writes.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, December 8, 1999

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