Today afternoon in his home in Paslepa, President Lennart Meri received the Estonian county governors and offered them a traditional dinner. The main subjects discussed at the meeting were the situation in Estonian parishes, the future of Estonian rural economy, local elections and the foundation of the Estonian Young Families Fund.

The President and the county governors discussed the economic situation in Estonian parishes and the reasons why some parishes are doing better than others. Observation of the development or decline of a particular parish may serve as an example for other units of local government which could be either followed or avoided. When the issues of rural economy were discussed, the participants expressed their hope that in the session to be held tomorrow, Riigikogu would discuss the future of rural economy in a constructive manner. The participants agreed that the future of rural economy could not be the playground of party politics.

The President told the county governors about the meeting he had last weekend in Suomussalmi, Finland, where the Finnish Home Association considered the possibilities of how to make young people return to their home region after they have received their education and how to provide them with good jobs and homes.

The necessity of an administrative reform and local elections were also discussed, since the future of our parishes depends on the results of both the reform and the elections. The strategic interests of individual local governments and the state as a whole coincide. One course of action to be initiated is the foundation of the Estonian Young Families Fund which the President of the Republic also discussed with the county governors.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, August 10, 1999

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