President Lennart Meri received Günter Verheugen, the Minister of State of the Federal Republic of Germany, in Kadriorg today to discuss the relations between Estonia and Germany. Verheugen, who is the first German government official to visit Estonia after the elections in Germany, assured that Germany’s co-operation with Estonia would continue on the same basis. According to Verheugen, Germany’s support to Estonia in accession to the enlarging European Union and the North-Atlantic Treaty Alliance will continue. The Minister of State Verheugen informed the Estonian President of Germany’s immediate tasks during her presidency of the European Union; as he said, the EU enlargement process should gain both in speed and in scope.

President Meri expressed his hope that Germany’s investments to Estonia would increase, as Estonia’s stable economy and politics, as well as the strong monetary system and legal system create favourable preconditions for this. Günter Verheugen agreed that Germany’s investments to Estonia have so far been too small.

President Meri repeated to the German Minister of State his invitation to the Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to visit Estonia. As Minister Verheugen said, he would certainly recommend the visit to Estonia to the Federal Chancellor.

Also the current developments in Russia and elsewhere in the world were discussed on the meeting.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, February 17, 1999

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