President Lennart Meri received Melissa Foelsh Wells, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Estonia, who came to present her credentials, at noon in Kadriorg today.

Presenting her credentials, Ambassador Wells said that the United States look with admiration and friendship on Estonia, on how Estonians with patience, courage and dignity maintained their national identity through half a century of foreign occupations.

According to Ambassador Wells, the United States welcome Estonia's striving to rejoin the European structures and NATO, and the US Government will continue to support the participation of the Estonian defence forces in the Partnership for Peace programme. The Ambassador also paid tribute to the initiative of establishing a commission to investigate the crimes against humanity in Estonia over the last half century.

President Meri said that the preservation of the individuality of small states is very important in the modern world. On the meeting with Ambassador Melissa Wells, the Head of State spoke of the security policy objectives of Estonia, and of the need to tighten economic relations between Estonia and the United States, which also form a part of the security establishment process.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, November 3, 1998

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