Today President Lennart Meri visited the Island of Ruhnu and looked at the island's airfield, harbour, Border Guard post, museum and churches; at noon the President had a meeting with the people of Ruhnu, the former Swedish inhabitants of Ruhnu who now live in Sweden and are there for a summer holiday, and the visitors of Ruhnu, and asked their opinions on how life on the island should develop and what are the most necessary preconditions for the development in the islanders' opinion.

In the morning, during the visit to the harbour, the Ruhnu Rural Municipality Mayor Vello Kümmel, Chairman of the Rural Municipality Council Priit Meerits and the Saare County Governor Jüri Saar told the Head of State of the progress of the construction works of the planned port. Forty million Estonian kroons are needed for the dredging and construction works, and as the President said, it would be unthinkable for the inhabitants of Ruhnu to raise the money by themselves, although the port is vital for the island. This morning the President also visited the Ruhnu Electric Plant that provides the people of Ruhnu with round-the clock electricity for the first time in history ever since September 4, 1997.

As the President said, the construction of the port on the island is a must, and on his meeting with the people of Ruhnu the President was pleased to learn that the former Ruhnu inhabitants now living in Sweden would be prepared to support the port construction by means of private enterprise. The Head of State also mentioned that other ways of energy production besides the existing diesel generator could be considered on the island, but of course these too would be dependent on the working order of the port.

The President pointed out that it is very important that the people of Ruhnu should participate in the discussion and decision-making in matters concerning their rural municipality through the rural municipality council, for this is the only way to make decisions that are in concord with the interests of the islanders.

The people of Ruhnu said that as the port and the airfield are in working order and mobile telephone communication is now possible on the island, they hoped that more tourists would be visiting the island in the future. The President added that when the tourists come, the islanders must be prepared to take good care of them.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, August 25, 1998

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