On President Lennart Meri’s invitation, the French President Jacques Chirac will make a state visit to Estonia on July 28. In Estonia, the French President will be accompanied by a large official delegation including Pierre Moscovici, the Minister of European Affairs; and François Patriat, the Secretary of State on small enterprises, commerce, handicraft and consumption; Jean-Jacques Subrenat, the Ambassador of France to Estonia, and other senior public servants from France. Also a big group of the members of the French National Assembly and Senate, as well as cultural and economic delegations and many French journalists will arrive in Estonia with President Chirac.

The official welcoming ceremony will take place at 9.15 in the morning of July 28 at the Tallinn Airport. From there, President Chirac and President Meri will proceed to the Estonian President’s residence at Viimsi, where they will have morning coffee, hold official talks, and exchange decorations and gifts.

The programme of the French President’s state visit will continue in the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the delegations of the two countries will meet, and the talks will continue in the presence of the Presidents. After the talks, President Chirac and President Meri will give a joint press conference.

The French Head of State will also lay a wreath on the monument of schoolchildren and teachers fallen in the War of Liberty at the Tallinn School of Sciences, and meet the Government of the Republic of Estonia.

After midday, Presidents Chirac and Meri will open the French Ambassador’s residence at Toompea and the French President will offer lunch to President Meri. In the afternoon, both Presidents will be at the Estonian National Library, where Bonjour l'Estonie: exchange of thoughts on the future and security of Europe between Jacques Chirac and Lennart Meri will take place as a result of co-operation between the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, the Estonian European Movement, and the French Embassy. Later, President Meri will show President Chirac around in the Old Town of Tallinn.

In the evening, the President of the Republic and Mrs. Helle Meri will host a dinner in honour of the French President Jacques Chirac at the House of Blackheads.

The French President will leave Estonia late night of Saturday, July 28.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, July 26, 2001

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