On Sunday, May 23, President Lennart Meri and Mrs. Helle Meri will begin their state visit to the Republic of Greece on the invitation of the President of Greece Constantinos Stephanopoulos. The President will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the Minister of Economy Mihkel Pärnoja, the Secretary of State Aino Lepik and the representatives of several trades, including the delegation of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by Toomas Luman, the Chairman of the Board of the CCI.

The official welcoming ceremony will be held in the morning of May 24 in the yard of the Presidential Palace. In addition to the meeting of the two Heads of State, the schedule also includes meetings with the Mayor of Athens Dimitris Avramopoulos, the Chairman of the Greek Parliament Vouli Apostolos Kaklamanis, the Prime Minister of Greece Costas Simitis and the Rector of the University of Athens Constantinos Dimopoulos. In the University of Athens, President of the Republic will deliver a lecture “Europe: where do we come from, where do we go from here?”

In Athens, President Lennart Meri will also meet the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Bilateral tourism and cultural co-operation agreements will be signed in the presence of the Presidents of Estonia and Greece.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Athens has organised the Greek-Estonian Business Seminar that will be opened by the President of The Republic. The President will visit the port of Piraeus where he will meet with the Greek Minister of Merchant Marine Stavros Soumakis. The opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Estonia is also included in the schedule of the visit to Piraeus. A Greek-Estonian business seminar will be held also in Thessaloniki. On Crete, President of the Republic will also have a working meeting in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Herakleion.

President of the Republic and Mrs. Helle Meri will bring the carpet “Tuli” (Fire) by Ehalill Järve as a present to the President of Greece.

Mrs. Helle Meri will pay a visit to the SOS-Kinderdorf, where she will deliver a gift of toys from the Estonian companies Lohu lelu and Norma.

In accordance with the international diplomatic protocol, decorations will be exchanged in the course of the visit both on the level of the Presidents and and on the level of delegations.

President of the Republic and Mrs. Helle Meri and the delegations will return to Tallinn in the morning of May 29.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, May 19, 1999

back | archive of press releases | main page