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 | Speeches | | |
President of the Republic at the Signing of the EU Accession Treaty in Athens, on 16 April 200316.04.2003
Chairman,
Representatives of the European Commission and the European Parliament,
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues!
It is a historic day for the entire Europe. For Estonia this is a reconfirmation of the route chosen immediately after we restored our independence. Historically and culturally we have always belonged to Europe - therefore this is only a natural process. But not only - signing the Accession Treaty also Europe turns back to Estonia.
We are bound to other European states by common values, belief in democratic way of life, supremacy of human rights and free market economy.
Estonia is convinced that accession to the European Union will secure our national security, stability and development, help to preserve and strengthen our culture and allow us to have a say in issues significant for Europe as well as share Europe's joys. We know the significance of this as we have experienced the lack of it in the past. We would like to be a full-fledged part of Europe and shape together our common future. We are ready to give our own contribution to develop the European Union into an efficiently performing Union.
There are larger and smaller Member States and nations in the European Union. This Union is an excellent model for the world of equal footing in mutual cooperation. Estonia would like to be an equal and worthy partner for its friends and allies. We bring into the European Union our knowledge and experience, our traditions and culture. This will enrich the Union.
We do not have to fear that our culture would dissolve in the union. The uniqueness of Europe lies in its Member States' ability to perform successfully together, maintaining national identity and specificity. At the beginning of the twentieth century a famous Estonian poet Gustav Suits said that ''let us remain Estonians but become Europeans''. We have reiterated it countless times in Estonia. However, in today's context the deep meaning of the sentence carries special significance.
It was not that easy to reach this day, signing of the Accession Treaty. Many, many people in Estonia and other accession countries, various EU institutions and Member States have worked hard in the name of this achievement. Thank you very much! However, the five-year negotiation process was just one stage in our development.
The signing of the Treaty of Accession is an essential landmark in Europe's renewal. I sincerely hope that the people of Estonia will vote for the Accession Treaty at the upcoming referendum and that the ratification in Member States will be smooth so that we could participate as a full member in shaping the present and future of our Europe.
Thank you!
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