Dear Chairman of the Riigikogu!
Dear Members of the Riigikogu!
Dear Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet!
Honourable guests from the Parliament of Kuwait!

In three hours, the funeral service of Ambassador Ernst Jaakson will begin. Mr. Chairman of the Riigikogu, allow me to ask the members of Riigikogu to stand up in commemoration of this great man.

Thank you! A couple of hours ago, the Emmaste County Council decided to rename the motor sailboat "Alar", a ship with a beautiful, dramatic maritime history, to "Ernst Jaakson". This ship has sailed both under the Estonian flag and under the Stars and Stripes of the United States.

It is also with symbols that we ensure the continuity of the Republic of Estonia.

What would have been the message of Ernst Jaakson to us today? I believe that he would have quoted his favourite, Benjamin Franklin: "We have given you a republic, if you can keep it."

This question, this demand should be kept in sight (and in mind) day by day, it is a question we should ask ourselves, especially today, at the present moment, when we are opening the one but last Session of this Riigikogu, in the world that has changed dramatically when compared to the world of the spring 1998. In this connection, I shall speak of foreign policy, internal policy, and the elections that are to take place in half a year's time.

Foreign policy. The smaller the country, the more are its internal policy, economic policy, and constitutional institutions dependent upon an efficient and realistic foreign policy. So what is the world like at the moment of opening this session? We step into the world whose financial mechanisms are helpless at the moment. Today, on September 14, Europe has no common position as yet. The financial crisis that started out in the Far East may - but need not necessarily - grow into an economic crisis. The momentous factors that have created a completely new situation in the world today are the regrettable developments in the Russian Federation and in the United States. The deferment of the economic reforms in Russia has caused a political crisis. Europe is economically much more closely linked to Russia than to the United States of America, and thus the primary reaction might be the draining of foreign investments not only from Russia but also from all the so-called "new markets". This could mean Brazil and Venezuela, but also Estonia, as there still is a tendency to treat us in the same way as the countries that are considered risky. The good times are past and we are facing a period of instability, but Estonia will be able to protect herself against this. Our prominent stability has been one of our most outstanding achievements, and this is due to the powerful reform policy of our first constitutional government. Now, our goal should be to bring the idea of Estonia as a stable and trustworthy partner into the consciousness of the common European citizen. The good international reputation of the Estonian banking system shall further improve if we clearly demonstrate our uncompromising attitude towards bank frauds such as the Maapank (the Rural Bank) case. Estonia's integration into the Northern energy system, which was an item of the agenda already on the first Meeting of the Presidents of the Baltic States in 1993, is the first step towards the creation of the common energy circle of the Baltic Sea Countries and thus ensures our regional stability. And first and foremost, we have to advertise our success on the negotiations with the European Union and the quest of the Baltic States and NATO for drafting our next steps on the way to NATO. All this is part of today's Estonia, the common creation of the Estonian legislators and the Estonian citizens, which is familiar to us here in Estonia, but insufficiently known outside our country. Therefore, I expect the Estonian journalists, the Estonian parties and first and foremost you, honourable members of the Riigikogu, to co-operate closely with the world media, your sister parties and the political public, so that the understanding of Estonia and the other Baltic States would start to form in the consciousness of the citizens of our partner states. This is a great challenge to us all: to prove that, even at the times of instability, Estonia can remain true to her political and economic policy objectives. This is the kind of dialogue that the electors expect from you, dear members of the Riigikogu.

Why is Estonia acceding to the European Union? In order to improve the quality of living and the quality of democracy, two issues that can not be separated or opposed to each other. It should be made clear to the Estonian citizen what and how is going to change in his life. People are interested in the EU and we should not underestimate this interest, Estonia is no exception. In Finland, prior to accession, 2/3 of the population thought they were adequately informed of the European Union, but after the accession 3/4 found that their information is insufficient. The better we know Europe, the more we want to know about her. It is our duty to satisfy this increasing hunger for knowledge. It is a task that should be assumed by our political parties and our Riigikogu delegates prior to the elections.

I would like to go on to express my sincere hope that our neighbour, the Russian Federation, will resume her advance towards reforms and overcome the current economic difficulties. We also know that Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov is facing the problems that will take time to solve. In my opinion, Estonia would do the right thing in considering, as the Nordic Countries, her possibilities of rendering humanitarian aid to our closest neighbours, to the schoolchildren and hospitals of the oblasts of Pskov, Novgorod and Leningrad. And God knows that this is also an opportunity to help our own farmers.

On the other hand I find it discouraging that several influential Russian politicians seem prepared to turn their backs on market economy and political pluralism. The reasons given for these tendencies are that the above principles seem to be in conflict with the Russian spirit and attitude to life. I am not prepared to agree with this argument. Economic crisis can never justify the restriction of free market economy and democracy. On the contrary, they call for the improvement of the quality of the free market economy and democracy. Russia must continue as a democratic country. This is the guarantee of security for Europe and the key to wealth for Russia.

Problems in Russia force us to assess the problems of Estonia with a steady and open mind. During the past seven years, what have we accomplished in the fields of social policy, public order, and national defence? Is it sufficient to ensure safe future for the Estonian people also at times of instability? At the moment, we are standing firmly on our feet. And yet we should ask: what should be done in the nearest future in order to secure our power of endurance at difficult times? Despite the advancing elections, we should not close our eyes and ears to the changing world. Estonia is not a separate planet. This task can not be left to the new Parliament, it must be approached here and now. This task also includes the completion of the procedures of the Draft Act 747. This Draft Act would give citizenship to about 8000 children who were born in the Republic of Estonia and have no citizenship of any state. The Draft Act proceeds from the UN Convention of Rights of the Child. Estonia has already acceded to this convention, and it would undermine Rule of the Law to ignore it. I know that a lot of political fervour and many legal problems arouse from this issue, but I consider this to be one of the central Draft Acts of this session, and let us not forget that, by this step, we would also assist Latvia.

The coming elections give us reason to think about the political system of the modern Estonia. Just as many others, I think that the time of small parties is past. The electors expect clear political programmes, and the possibility to choose between differences, not similarities. Similarities can and must exist in one respect only: in the principle of national security and in the foreign policy proceeding from this principle. The situation where the citizens of the Republic of Estonia get no clear answers to their questions, and where there are no competing teams, and which leaves the Estonian citizen in ignorance of what he is voting for, is most hazardous to the democratic development of democracy.

It is with great concern, dear members of the Riigikogu, and all Estonians, that I feel obliged to draw your attention to the deteriorating reputation of several of our constitutional institutions. The public opinion leaders approach the society from the viewpoint of their party, their ministry or their administration, not from that of the Republic of Estonia. We are in constant danger of dissolving into each other the powers that so far have existed in balanced separation. At the present time, we can see something closely resembling the feudal fragmentation edging its way into our practices of administration. What we need is an integral vision -- fresh ideas and open-minded analysis that would ensure Estonia's stable progress also in the destabilising international economic environment.

Dear Riigikogu,
Dear compatriots!

The time when I shall announce the regular elections of the Riigikogu is not far. It is time for the citizens of Estonia to say their final word, to give a conclusive evaluation of what has been done. Democracy does not mean simply the election of leaders, it also means the responsibility of leaders to the people. Those who have promised the lands of milk and honey will end up as losers. Now, it is time for us to tune ourselves so that the winner would be the common interests of the Estonian people, so that the winner would be the Republic of Estonia.

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