At the invitation of the Italian President, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, President Lennart Meri and Mrs Helle Meri are leaving today for a state visit to the Italian Republic. President Meri's schedule includes meetings with the Italian head of state, Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini. He will also visit the Italian parliament, where he will meet the chairmen of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Italy keeps a close eye on what Estonia is bringing along to the expanding European Union. The main emphasis at the Estonian-Italian meetings will be on issues related to the future of both the European Union and NATO. Estonia and Italy have signed most of the agreements essential for the development of interstate relations. The Italian Prime Minister Prodi told President Meri as they met in Tallinn last month that Estonian-Italian economic ties had a great future ahead. He also urged that Estonia should promote itself in Italy on a wider scale, laying special stress on the achievements of Estonian culture.

The President is accompanied on the state visit by his Foreign Relations Counsellor, Ms Kaja Tael; State Secretary Uno Veering; Foreign Minister Toomas Hendrik Ilves; Economics Minister Jaak Leimann; Defence Minister Andrus Öövel; Director of the President's Office, Mr Jaanus Pikani; and Viljandi County Elder, Mr Helir-Valdor Seeder. The Foreign, Economics and Defence Ministers will also have bilateral meetings with their Italian counterparts.

The President's entourage further includes the Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Foreign Investment Agency, Mr Jüri Sakkeus, and a 20-strong delegation of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who will attend Estonian business seminars in Rome and in Milan. Even now the support of Italy can already be felt in Estonia, judging by intensive trade and the amount of investments.

The state visit of the Estonian head of state and Mrs Helle Meri returns the visit made by the Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro and his daughter Marianna Scalfaro to Tallinn on May 22-23, 1997. The Estonian President's state visit will end on Sunday, March 29.


Press Service of the President's Office
Kadriorg, 25 March 1998

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