President Lennart Meri and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Toomas Hendrik Ilves yesterday and today participated in the Southeast Europe Stability Pact Summit in Sarajevo. The Heads of State and Heads of Government of the participant countries, as well as the representatives of regional and international organisations, approved a declaration which specifies the Southeast Europe Stability Pact approved in Cologne on May 10, 1999, which is aimed at rendering common assistance for the implementation of political and economic reforms and for the enhancement of democracy and safety in the region.

On the summit, the President of the Republic delivered the Estonia's position, offering Estonia's concrete contribution for creating stability on the Balkans in three areas where Estonia has found the greatest recognition: the currency reform, the privatisation and the internetization. Bodo Hombach, the special representative of the Southeast Europe Stability Pact, confirmed to President Meri on the bilateral meeting that he would like to visit Estonia in September in order to look into the Estonian experience on the spot.

The President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs also had several important bilateral meetings. On the meeting of the Estonian President and the French President Jacques Chirac the French President confirmed his wish to come to a state visit to Estonia in the coming year. The Estonian President outlined to his colleague his vision of the European security structures.

With the Polish President Kwasniewski and the Ukrainian President Kuchma, President Meri discussed the forthcoming Yalta Conference, stressing that the outcome of the meeting must in no way resemble that of the Yalta Conference of 1945.

President Meri thanked also President Clinton for America’s efficient assistance in solving the problems of Europe.

The President of the Republic thanked the Turkish President Syleiman Demirel for sending his warship TCG Yildirim on a visit to the Baltic Sea. The President confirmed Estonia's interest in educating two officers in Turkey.

With the representative of the European bank for Reconstruction and Development the President of the Republic spoke of the Undva deep-sea port project in Saaremaa. A representative of the EBRD will soon come to inspect the site chosen for the future port.

The Estonian Head of State also spoke with the Heads of Governments of the Nordic Countries. As President Meri said, ''Estonia must participate in everything if she wants to maintain the reputation of an efficient European country and show that she has already crossed the river.''

The democratic world wishes Serbia to be part of it, nobody wishes to discriminate Serbia; Serbia has discriminated itself, the German Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said on the summit.

The Foreign Minister Ilves discussed the meeting of the states holding accession negotiations with the EU to be held in Estonia this autumn with his colleagues from Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Cyprus. The Estonian and Ukrainian Ministers of Foreign Affairs discussed European integration.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, July 30, 1999

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