President Lennart Meri and Mrs. Helle Meri will on the evening of Monday, September 13, start their state visit to Iceland on the invitation of the Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. The President will be accompanied by the Minister of Finance Siim Kallas, Andres Tarand, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, the State Secretary Aino Lepik von Wirén, Academician Richard Villems and Jaanus Pikani, Chairman of the Board of the Tartu University Clinic.

President Meri will have meetings with Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the President of Iceland, the Icelandic prime Minister Davið Oddsson, and the Minister of Trade Finnur Ingólfsson.

On the second day of the visit, President Meri will open a business seminar in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Iceland. Estonia is interested in closer business relations with Iceland. Iceland is 36th among the countries that have invested in Estonia, and 64th on the goods turnover list. Estonia exports timber and manufactured products to Iceland, and fish and fish products are mostly transported from Iceland to Estonia.

On Tuesday, the Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson will host a festive dinner in honour of President of the Republic and Mrs. Helle Meri in the presidential residence Bessastaðir.

President Lennart Meri will visit AlÞing, the Icelandic Parliament, and meet the Vice-Chairman of Parliament Guδmundur Árni Stefánsson and other members of the Icelandic Parliament. The Estonian delegation will also visit Þingvellir, the place where the oldest parliament of the world held its meetings. On the seminar held in the University of Iceland the Estonian President will deliver a peresentation ''From Yalta to Yalta, what have we learned?'', followed by a discussion with the professors and students.

The Estonian presidential couple will present the President of Iceland the tapestry ''Ancient Ships'' by the Estonian textile artist Maasike Maasik.

Asking the Estonian President to a counter-visit to Iceland, President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson mentioned on 9 June last year that the state visit to Iceland should take place during the salmon season. According to the Icelandic tradition, also President lennart Meri and Mrs. Helle Meri participate in salmon-fishing.

The President of the Republic, Mrs. Helle Meri and the delegation will be back in Tallinn on the early morning of September 17.


Press Service of the office of the President
Kadriorg, September 9, 1999

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