President Lennart Meri received Jaakko-Pekka Blomberg, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Finland to the Republic of Estonia, who had come to present his credentials, in the presidential palace of Kadriorg today. Ambassador Blomberg forwarded the regards of President Tarja Halonen to President Meri and the people of Estonia.

When presenting his credentials, Ambassador Blomberg said that Finland is proud of Estonia, who has successfully modernised her society, and that Finland hopes that the state and people of Estonia will in the coming years see the fulfilment of their political, security, and economic aspirations. As the Ambassador said, the bilateral relations between Finland and Estonia are an inseparable part of the EU integration, and that Estonia’s accession to the European Union will open new possibilities for Estonia. The relations between the two countries are based on the friendship of ordinary citizens and co-operation between civic organisations and societies, Ambassador Blomberg said, and expressed his personal satisfaction at being bestowed with the task of representing Finland in Estonia and becoming an even closer part of further developing the relations between the two countries.

When accepting the credentials, President Lennart Meri said that the close relations between Estonia and Finland spring from the affinity between the two peoples. Estonia is grateful for Finland’s considerable assistance to the preparations for accession tot he European Union, President Meri said. “It is only due to Finland’s example that we can simultaneously learn and also apply the acquired knowledge,” he said. Also Estonia’s other foreign policy goal, accession to NATO, has received Finland’s support. Estonia is proud of the members of her defence forces who have received their training in Finland, the President pointed out. As the President said, factions of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, have confirmed their support to the plan to increase the amount allocated to the defence expenditure from the state budget of the year 2002 to 2 per cent of our gross national product.

President Meri welcomed Finland’s new Ambassador to Estonia, a country which, although different from Finland, is much less different than other countries of the world – and therefore, very much alike.

Also developments in Russia and security issues of the Baltic Sea area were discussed on the meeting.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, June 21, 2001

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