President Lennart Meri today began his two-day working visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The President met the Estonian peacekeepers serving at Doboj.

President Lennart Meri and the Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Toomas Hendrik Ilves visited the Danish battalion of the Nordic-Baltic Brigade, where 19 Estonian peacekeepers are currently serving.

In Doboj, situated about 200 km north of Sarajevo, Lieutenant-Colonel Hinrichsen described the battalion's activities to the President of the Republic, Minister Toomas Hendrik Ilves, and the Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, who was visiting the Latvian peacekeepers of the same battalion; Lt-Col Hinrichsen commended the peacekeepers from the Baltic States. Speaking of what could be done better, the Lieutenant-Colonel mentioned that the Danes, as well as the Estonians and the Latvians, should take still more trouble with their English.

The Estonian President was interested in the distribution of tasks and co-operation between the local police and the Danish battalion. The Deputy Commander of the battalion admitted that the civilian police and the peacekeepers' battalion have the common aim of maintaining order and preventing incidents and armed conflicts.

The Estonian President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs talked to the 19 Estonian peacekeepers serving currently in Doboj. The Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the Government is proud of the peacekeeping activities and emphasised the importance of peacekeeping to the Estonian foreign policy.

As President Meri said, Estonia as a small country must show her flag flying everywhere and participate in all international co-operation projects that are in concord with the objectives of Estonia’s foreign policy.

The peacekeepers also told the visitors about the situation in their point of residence and about their work.

Tonight, the President of Bosnia-Herzegovina will host a lunch for the participants of the South-Eastern Europe Stability Pact Summit in Sarajevo.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, July 29, 1999

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