Ladies and Gentlemen, I am glad to introduce President Aleksander Kwaśniewski with the following words:

A quarter of a century earlier I wrote that the Baltic Sea is the axis of the Estonian life.

Six years ago, I said that the Baltic Sea connecting Estonia and Poland could become the axis shaping the reuniting Europe.

Today I can say that this axis is functioning well and that Poland is the closest to Estonia of the friendly great powers.

Estonia and Poland have common interests that are accentuated by our co-operation and by setting common goals. Both Estonia and Poland are candidate states to the European Union. Both Estonia and Poland have understood their obligations in securing peace and stability: Poland has become a member of NATO. Estonia will become a member of NATO. Estonia and Poland support the EU membership of Latvia, Lithuania, and the Slovak Republic.

What does all this tell us?

It tells us that we are becoming closer.

Therefore it is obvious that we discussed the subjects of the European Union, NATO, the bilateral relations, the trade that is far from lively, the cultural exchange.

I would like especially to thank President Kwaúniewski and Mrs. Kwaśniewska for taking part of the service held in the St. Charles` Church the day before. The service was dignified and beautiful. The evil will always be punished in the end. If this were not so, we would still be sitting on the trees today.

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