President Lennart Meri received Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and the accompanying governmental delegation at Kadriorg today. The Estonian head of state thanked Prime Minister Prodi for the support Italy afforded Estonia prior to the European Council's decision on the beginning of enlargement negotiations. He also stressed the need to accelerate the advancement of Estonian-Italian bilateral relations.

President Meri underscored the role of small countries in the integrating Europe, referring also to a neighbour of Italy's, Slovenia, where he had been on a state visit last year. Romano Prodi suggested that in essence an affirmative decision on admitting Estonia to the European Union had been silently made already. He agreed that small countries had a role to play in Europe, and he speculated that just because it is small Estonia might outpace Poland in EU negotiations.

The Italian Premier assured the Estonian President he would do his best to do away with the visa requirement for travel between Estonia and Italy, taking into account the limits established in the Schengen agreement. If there is an interest to abolish the visa regime, all the obstacles will be cleared, the Estonian President added, in his turn assuring the Italian guest that the Estonian border is secure and Estonia has been commended for that.

Both the Estonian head of state and the Italian head of government emphasized the need to promote cultural contacts, and President Meri expressed a hope that Italian entrepreneurs find Estonia to be a good gateway on their way to Russia. Security issues were also discussed at the meeting, including the US-Baltic Charter and NATO enlargement. Estonia, according to President Meri, supports the southward enlargement of NATO to embrace Slovenia and Romania, hoping at the same time that South-European nations will support northward NATO enlargement into the Baltic region.


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

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