Excellencies,
dear friends.

To begin with I would like to thank Ambassador Oinonen for inviting me to lunch with you today. It is a particularly well-chosen moment following the recent Helsinki Summit. I am grateful for being able to provide you with some of my views on the way ahead following Helsinki as we reach the end of the very successful first Finnish Presidency of the European Union.

The Helsinki Summit has been called historic, and I think that this definition is justified. I would particularly note the wording on the war in Chechnya, which was a strong reminder to the Russian Federation of its obligation to observe European norms. Unfortunately Russia is still bombing civilians and I hope that the European Union is prepared to take the next steps.

Many administrative decisions were taken in Helsinki which will allow the EU to enter the new millennium as a stronger and more effective union. A big step was taken in the direction of developing a European defence capability. I believe that with this decision the European Union's ability to truly live up to its potential as a provider of security has been greatly strengthened. Likewise, I am convinced that if handled correctly the development of a European defence identity will strengthen the Trans-Atlantic Alliance, as Europe will show to our American allies our willingness to carry our share of the common security burden.

The decision to invite Turkey was important and I congratulate both the EU members and the Turkish government on it. Turkey has been a part of Europe for centuries and I believe that it's inclusion among the candidates for EU accession will contribute to security and prosperity in Europe just as it shows to the outside world that Europe is not simply a Christian club.

I am of course especially pleased over the decision to invite, among others, Latvia and Lithuania to start negotiations for EU membership. I believe that it is a good signal that was sent to the second group of candidate countries. I am convinced that this decision will have a positive effect on the pace of reform there as it sends a clear message that the EU is committed to including them as well. Estonia is committed to helping our neighbours in preparing for membership.

Finally, I believe it is good both for the present and future EU members that the Union so clearly committed itself to being ready for enlargement by the end of 2002. The Intergovernmental Conference which will be convened to prepare the EU's decision-making process for enlargement will have its work cut out for itself, but I am convinced that with good will prevailing the European Council in Nice will be able to conclude this IGC.

With this let me now turn to the future of Estonia's accession negotiations, which after all have been going on for more than one and a half years.

I believe you will agree with me that we have made considerable progress since we opened the first chapters in the spring of 1998. Estonia has shown herself to be among the leading members of the first group of candidate countries and I can assure you that we have every intention of staying there.

The Commission's Progress Report pointed out a number of shortcomings in Estonia. These are problems, which I have addressed frequently and I don't think that I have to delve into them here. It is clear that we have to work on them, just as all other candidate countries have to work to eliminate their difficulties as far as their ability to adopt the acquis communautaire is concerned. I am grateful for the Commission's criticism, as this critique helps us to be better prepared in the negotiating process.

While the Commission criticises, it also helps. The EU has already provided Estonia with much assistance and I am grateful to you for further increasing this assistance in the coming years. This is particularly significant in the field of agriculture, which after all is one of the most complicated subjects both for you and for us during our accession negotiations. Nonetheless, I am convinced that in the final analysis the negotiations on agricultural issues will have been much simpler with Estonia than with most other candidate countries.

With this I return to my assertion that Estonia intends to remain among the frontrunners for early EU membership. We have posted as our goal the first of January 2003. This is still realistic. I believe that with hard work on our side and the political will on your side we can reach this goal.

In closing, and as a subject for our further discussion around this table, I would like to ask you, the ambassadors of the member states, what your vision of the future of the enlargement process is:

- How do you see the next one or one and a half years?
- How should one interpret Commissioner Verheugen's statement in Helsinki that enlargement is possible only by 2004 – is this a common EU position?
- How do we avoid the trap of grouping countries together and how do we ensure that the criterion of individual merit prevails, not the criterion of geographic location?

Thank you.

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