This morning, President Lennart Meri spoke at the National Press Club in Washington. In the statement made before the meeting with journalists, the President spoke of Estonia’s two big foreign policy priorities, the accession to NATO and the accession to the EU. “On the second front things are proceeding quite well. On the NATO front we expect to receive some encouraging signals at the upcoming summit here in Washington in five weeks’ time. I will also be discussing this issue later today with Secretary Albright,” the President said.

The enlargement of the Alliance is not an aim in itself. The decision of Central European countries to join NATO is an indication of the readiness of those nations to assume part of the obligations of managing the world, the President said. The financial and technical difficulties of enlargement should be weighted against the consequences of denying access to these democracies. The President said that as Foreign Minister of Poland Bronisuaw Geremek has made clear, NATO can provide these countries not only with security, but also with perceived security. The countries admitted to NATO membership will concentrate on issues of the future, rather than on the wounds of the past, President Meri said. “This is reconciliation through security as Zbigniew Brzezinski calls it, and nobody can say it better,” the President added.

Russia naturally does play an important role in this equation. As the President said he believes we all recognise the progress that Russia, as a former Soviet dictatorship, has made in the course of attempting to develop a market economy, free press and institutions of political democracy. “We all agree that reaching a true civil society and establishing a fully functioning rule of law will take time,” the President said, and added that virtually all Russians share this opinion. Estonia has supported and will continue to support Russia on this difficult path, and neither has Russia been left alone by the international community. “To describe Moscow as having been left alone, and to describe NATO enlargement as the only issue influencing bilateral ties, would be an unfair and inaccurate characterisation of Russia’s relations with the world community,” President Meri said.

NATO has been drawn deeply into solving today’s international problems and as a consequence Russia’s view of the Alliance is changing. NATO is a present-day reality, and while Russia will probably not support the second and third wave of NATO enlargement, it will probably not seriously oppose it either, President Meri said.

According to President Meri, NATO is a community of values and only those, who both in theory and practice embrace those values, can be allowed to join. “In the real world that would logically mean countries, which are also ripe for entry into the European Union, which has a precise set of criteria to measure the level of civic society and market economy in its applicants.”

What we expect from the upcoming NATO summit here in Washington is a clear signal that the Alliance’s enlargement will continue, President Meri said. “We would like to see a road-map being elaborated which would allow prospective members, like Estonia, a clear understanding of what is required of them as they prepare for membership. This road-map should take into account that NATO is not only a well-oiled military machine, but that it is also a political and strategic community, a community based on common values, where small countries’ small contributions are equally valued as are big countries’ big contributions. After all, NATO is not only the United States, France and Germany, but also Denmark, Norway and Luxembourg,” the President went on to say.

Speaking of the EU accession negotiations, the President said that for Estonia the European Union and NATO are two sides of the same coin. “They stand for the same values, the same principles, the same ideals. That is why Estonia, like the other Central European countries aspiring to NATO membership, also wishes to become a member of the European Union,” the President added.

Speaking of the relations between Estonia and the EU, President Meri mentioned that Estonia’s economic progress was the catalyst for the European Union’s decision to initiate accession negotiations with Estonia, and that the adoption into Estonian law of 80’000 pages of Community legislation is well on track. The President confirmed that Estonia’s domestic work is planned in a way, which will allow us to be ready for accession to the EU on 1 January 2003.

The President also spoke of the bilateral relations between Estonia and the United States, which are excellent, as he said. Trade is increasing, US investment is increasing, and on the political arena we continue to feel strong US support for our aspirations. The President expressed his hope that also here in Washington Estonia is seen as a stable and trustworthy partner and friend.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, March 15, 1999

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