Today morning in Copenhagen, President Lennart Meri met with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. The discussion was focused on Kosovo and the further course of NATO expansion.

Prime Minister of Denmark Rasmussen said that the solution to the situation in Kosovo will not be found as soon as expected, but added that the course taken by NATO must be followed.

The President of the Republic of Estonia emphasised that finding a fast solution to the situation in Kosovo and the return of the refugees is extremely important, since if the present situation should continue over winter, there is the danger of petrifaction. This means that the main objective of the conflict has not been achieved and, as a result of the activities of a totalitarian regime, a dangerous precedent about the emergence of refugees in Europe has been created.

When talking about the expansion of NATO, the Prime Minister of Denmark said that it is extremely important that a development plan with long-term prospects is created for the Estonian army. President Meri thanked Denmark for its strong support at the meeting in Washington and for the significant assistance in the establishment of the Baltic Defence College.

During the meeting, President Meri and Prime Minister Rasmussen also talked about the importance of the archaeological excavations in the Old Town of Tallinn to the popularisation of the joint history of Estonia and Denmark. They thought the findings were so important that there should be mutual considerations of how the money allocated to culture in the European Union could be connected to them.

The President and the Prime Minister also talked about the investigation of the archaeological background of Kaali meteorite crater, which was interrupted due to the untimely death of archaeologist Vello Lõugas and that could be re-launched in 2001 also as an all-European project.

President Meri will return from the Forum of Development of the Baltic Sea in Copenhagen to Tallinn today in the afternoon.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, May 18, 1999

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