Your Highness,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,


Thank you for your cordial words of welcome, Your Highness, and for the invitation to visit your country that, alas, had to suffer much in the recent past. Your will to resist aggression served Estonia as an example in our campaign to end the Soviet occupation and to restore our independence. Your will to resist, along with the will of the international community to resist aggression has served and will serve as a lasting example how nations of the free world should stick to their principles, join their strength and force any aggressor back. Unfortunately, this historic example of defending common values has not always been followed in the recent past.

It might seem that our two countries are situated far apart from each other. But the modern world is the world of diminishing distances and growing interdependence. Geographical distances can't prevent friendly nations with similar - bitter - historical experiences from developing mutual relations.

Estonia was among the first countries to condemn the Iraqi aggression against Kuwait. Kuwait, in return, was among the first countries to recognize the restored independence of Estonia, brutally smashed during the infamous Hitler-Stalin pact. Small countries are never small, if they support each other, if they act together.

Your Highness,

I was deeply moved by Your message You sent through Your Minister of Interior. Now I am here, on the much suffered Kuwaiti soil, to symbolise the warm admiration the Estonian people has felt and is feeling for You, Your Highness, and Your courageous people. I am convinced that this visit will serve as a firm foundation for the further development of friendly ties and economic co-operation between the Kuwaiti and Estonian people.

Your Highness,

It may seem that Kuwait and Estonia are located geographically far from each other. Yet, the modern world is closely interlinked. Let me give You just one example. On the 24th of February the allied ground forces entered Kuwait. You may be surprised to hear that this day, the 24th of February, is equally historic for Kuwait and Estonia. for Kuwait, it was the turning point in 1991. For Estonia, it vas our turning point in 1918, - when Estonia proclaimed her independence and fought valiantly until her independence was recognized by the Tartu Peace Treaty in 1920.

Estonia's rebirth is based on OPENNESS and INTEGRATION with the world on various fronts. The Estonian state has become an equal partner on the world scene, and the Estonian economy, which just a few years ago was entirely dependent on the former Soviet Union, has again been opened to all corners of the earth. Foreign trade has returned to the principles and virtues of the free market economy, and today is strongest with our traditional partners such as Sweden, Finland and Germany.
We are delighted that foreign investment in Estonia has increased dramatically in this past year, and that these investors represent some of the finest international firms in the world. Estonia's privatization programme is in full swing, with most small and medium sized enterprises already in the reliable hands of the private sector. The first rounds of privatization of large enterprises have also been met with great success, attracting offers from investors from over 30 different countries. We are building the foundations for a new economic structure and are committed to continuing along the road towards economic prosperity.

Along this road, Estonia is looking to expand and intensify relations with the Arab World. Estonia, as I told you, is a maritime state. Our coastline has a length of more than 3000 kilometres, we have more than 1500 islands in our territorial water and the best deep water port in the Baltic. We can receive ships with a depth of approach up to 18 meters. In short, Estonia is the key for the Baltic, the key to the Russian and Baltic market.

In this connection I would like to be as specific as possible and give you some figures. The port of Muuga is handling this year 16 million metric tons of goods and her potential can be increased up to 35 million tons, provided we are able to guarantee new investments in the range of some 600 million US dollars. The port of Muuga has the most modern oil terminal of the Baltic Sea. We are ready to explore the possibilities of building a crude oil refinery for the local market with a capacity of 3 Mil metric tons a year.

Estonia is of course interested in exporting her own products as well as products coming from the Russian market. Traditional Estonian export items are agricultural goods - meat, fish, canned fish, dairy products. We export annually more than 1 million tons of wood and forestry products, including furniture. And, last but not least, the re-export of various metals from Russia has an important place in our market activities. The Estonian merchant fleet with a capacity of 400.000 tons is big enough to increase considerably our economic ties with the Gulf region.

As trading nations we need security. The Concept of collective security is entrenched in the agreements which Kuwait has reached with its neighbours and with the Great Powers of this world. During the liberation of your country - if other states are willing to step up to the defence of that law.

Also Estonia needs security. A great debate is ongoing in Europe about the potential expansion of NATO eastward - to the formerly communist countries of East and Central Europe. As you very well know: no small country with a past like yours or ours can feel itself secure if it does not know that it will have friends to rely on in times of need.

Your Highness,

This visit is only a small step on our mutual path. We have similar hopes, similar experiences and similar fears, - similar to all small nations. Therefore permit me to end my address by quoting the holy book: Aggression is more heroes than killing;
Permission to fight is granted to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged, and God indeed has the power to help them.

Thank You, Your Highness,
Thank You, Excellencies.

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