Your Excellency,
Lieutenant Commander Gerard Marek,
Crew of the "Orzel"!

The Republic of Estonia welcomes the Polish submarine "Orzel" in Tallinn. The message of your friendship visit is clear to every Estonian and every Pole. The first "Orzel", the one that sought refuge in Tallinn in 1939, whose name you bear according to the maritime tradition, was forced to fight two totalitarian states that had instigated the Second World War. The name "Orzel" is part of the Estonian as well as the Polish history. And I am glad that, from now on, it is also a symbol of our common future. Stalin did not declare war against Poland, but named his attack the liberation of the ethnic minorities of Poland. Just as cynically, he used the departure of the first "Orzel" from Tallinn as a pretext for accusing the Republic of Estonia in breach of neutrality and, under this cover, took steps that eventually led to the occupation of our country. The sojourn of the first "Orzel" in Tallinn elicited from him a confession that the Soviet Union was waging an undeclared war against Poland.

The visit of today's "Orzel" links our past to our present, but that is not all. It also draws a clear line between our past and our present. We can look into a joint future on the condition that we do not forget the past.

Indeed, neither of these two totalitarian states any longer exists. Democratic and united Europe is negotiating the accession of Estonia and Poland to the EU. Last year's NATO Summit in Madrid decided to extend NATO membership to Poland and to assist the Baltic States, including Estonia, to follow in Poland's footsteps. The world has become safer. This is a new world where we meet today. We are, with sympathy and hope, following closely the efforts of our common neighbour, the Russian Federation, for the modernization of her society and economy. But there is never enough security in the world. The tragic historical experience of Estonia and Poland is proof of that. The Polish word Katyn is pronounced Vorkuta in Estonian. I am very proud to learn that beside Estonia, also Poland has decorated Mrs. Hilda Sabbo, who is present on this meeting and who has devoted herself to the task of documenting the terror and violations of human rights during our totalitarian periods. The life's work of Mrs. Hilda Sabbo once more proves how tightly the fates of Poland and Estonia were intertwined during the totalitarian regimes. It is your duty to prove how closely the Estonian Navy and the Polish Navy can co-operate today in ensuring security, peace and stability on our common Baltic Sea.

Thank you for accepting my invitation to visit Tallinn and to tie together the historic traditions of the two "Orzels", the traditions of historic co-operation between Poland and Estonia. Welcome, Orzel!

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