The President of the Republic today gave a speech to the participants of the conference of the U.S. Aspen Institute, including a number of representatives of the U.S. Senate and Congress.

In his address, the President focused on Estonia’s endeavours to join NATO, saying that the issue of joining NATO is not a beauty contest; it is about the core values of democracy and freedom, stability and collective security, and called for NATO to open its doors to the Baltic States in 2002.

The President of the Republic also touched on Estonia’s relations to Russia, saying that the actual ties between people, businessmen, and institutions are considerably better than described by official Moscow, who pretends in a very Soviet style that Estonia voluntarily joined the Soviet Union, thus still reflecting the propaganda of 1940s.


Press Service of the Office of the President

Kadriorg, 25 August, 2001

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