As President Lennart Meri said, Estonia values Boris Yeltsin, who announced his resignation today, as the first legally elected President of Russia. Considering the historical backround of Russia, this had great importance; and thus Boris Yeltsin has already secured his place in the history of both Russia and the world, President Meri said.

As President Meri said, Estonia will not forget Boris Yeltsin's visit to Tallinn in 1991, when he took a stand for Estonia's integrity and the interests of Baltic States. President Meri named this a manly action, and said that the Estonians will keep it as a good memory.

The Russian Federation, led by Boris Yeltsin, was the first to recognise Estonia's independence, and was prepared to establish diplomatic relations. President Meri recognises Boris Yeltsin's outstanding and valuable role in the development of Russian democracy, which was and is a complicated process.

It has been true for the development of relations between Boris Yeltsin and the democratic world that the West's relationship with Moscow has been quite personal: saying Russia, one meant Gorbachov, saying Russia, one meant Yeltsin. Vladimir Putin, Yeltsin seccessor in the duties of the President, will have to bear this burden now. The future will show how hard or how easy this progress will be.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, December 31, 1999

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