Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen:


Standing by the door together with my wife, I greeted you welcome as Estonia's ambassador to Helsinki, as your colleague.

Now, moments later, I am wishing you all farewell, dear friends, and at the same time greet you as the recently - elected president of the Republic of Estonia.

We met for the first time earlier this year on the 23rd of April. At the Finnish President's reception. On the morning of the same day I had presented my credentials to president Koivisto. I was proud to be the first ambassador to Finland of the independent Republic of Estonia since the Second World War.

I was pleased to be an ambassador in Finland: in a country which speaks a language similar to my own: among people who in the same manner as my own people, think unhurried thoughts which recall the calm sighing of the forest.

I came here to serve equally Estonian and Finnish interests - I came to stay here among you, to stay in a country I love, in a country where my daughter has just begun school.

But five months later I have to thank you and tell you farewell. Because the Estonian people have chosen me. via the first democratic elections held in Estonia since the second World War, as the president.

Allow me to use this opportunity to tell you that I am a president for all peoples living in Estonia. Many people live in Estonia who, for reasons of history, are not citizens of Estonia. To you, I have this to say: I turn to you with my arms outstretched and affirm to you that the Republic of Estonia is a state ruled by the law, where everyone, regardless of colour or creed, regardless of ethnic origin, is assured of equal justice. The President of Estonia is a fair and just president, for citizens and non-citizens alike. The republic of Estonia guarantees human rights to all, as these rights are laid down in the international conventions of the UN, of the CSCE and the Council of Europe. The legislative work of our parliament, the Riigikogu, is guided by these conventions and adheres to them without exception. Let me affirm once again: Estonia is a state ruled by law.

In four months, our re-born republic will celebrate its 75th anniversary. In light of this, I feel it is necessary to emphasize to our partner states in all corners of the world that Estonia has been an open society since the signing of the Tartu peace treaty in 1920, and also that we will remain an open society. Just as Estonia was an active member of the League of Nations in the interwar period, so too is Estonia an active member of the international community today. We will with all means at our disposal, play our full role in contributing to and cooperating with the United Nations, with the Council of Europe, with the CSCE and subsidiary organizations. As one of ten founding states-members, we feel a special commitment to participating fully in the Council of the Baltic states, jointly founded last March in Copenhagen on the initiative of the foreign ministers of Germany and Denmark. We salute Finland, the current chair of council and host of the upcoming foreign ministers meeting scheduled to take place in Helsinki this March. For Estonia, the Baltic Sea unites us, not only with the countries surrounding the Baltic, but with all of Europe. The Baltic Sea region has an exciting potential to become the next dynamic growth zone of an integrating Europe, in the new Europe of regions. For this reason, Estonia has decided to offer itself as the next host-country for the Council of the Baltic Sea states.

Estonia's integration into Europe is of importance to us, not only in terms of economic policy, but also in terms of our national security. The prospects for achieving a new and stable regional security arrangements centred around the Baltic Sea are brighter now than at any time since the second World War, and we intend to pursue this goal with all means available to us. Our goal is peaceful, secure and prosperous Northern Europe.

But a precondition for this is the successful completion of our negotiations with the Russian Federation in a manner which serves the national interests of both sides and lays the foundations for a future of fruitful and friendly relations. Our priority task is and will remain the "early, orderly and complete" withdrawal of all foreign military forces from our national territory, as spelled out in the final document of the recent Helsinki CSCE summit. We are deeply convinced that a free and independent Estonia cooperatively coexisting on the western border of the Russian Federation along with our sister-states of Latvia and Lithuania is not only in the Estonian national interests. But also in the national interests of the Russian Federation and in the interests of peace and stability in the North of Europe.

Your Excellencies, ladies and Gentlemen!

Yesterday I gave Mr. Mart Laar the responsibility to form the first democratically-elected constitutional government in Estonia since World War Two. The Republic of Estonia and the people of Estonia urgently need and deserve a stable and trustworthy government. The eyes of the world are upon us. The men and women of Estonia will, I am convinced, be worthy of this historical moment. With our united strength, with our unanimity and self-sacrifice, we have overcome the burdens of our past, and now we must look to the future.

Once again, I must say thank you and farewell, dear friends. And welcome to the free and independent Republic of Estonia.

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