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The President of the Republic continues visiting Ida-Virumaa30.01.2002
The President of the Republic has devoted the major part of his two-day tour in Ida-Virumaa to familiarizing himself with local business activities. Today, at the meeting with leaders of the local government, businessmen and members of the clergy, the Head of State gave reasons for his interest: "Due to its traditions and potential, Ida-Virumaa is one of Estonia's most important industrial regions which has undergone big changes. Therefore, also during my visit, I took interest in seeing how the local enterprises are developing and raising their competitiveness. I was pleased to see that efforts of so many enterprises, aiming at this goal, have been successful." The President`s estimation was borne out by the Silmet Group Ltd visited by the Head of State this morning. During this visit, the President was interested, above all, in the activities of the free economic zone and in an idea to build a port at Sillamäe.
The entrepreneurs of Ida-Virumaa presented to the President their wishes, the first of which was to be capable of coping with their problems in Ida-Virumaa on their own. However, the entrepreneurs noted that not everything was within their power: quite many in the success of both business and Estonia as a whole, and also opening up new markets and advancing relations with Russia as an important trade partner, depended on national decisions. In addition to this, the entrepreneurs pointed out that the rise in prices of vital inputs of production, notably of energy, was detrimental to competitiveness. Meeting the executives of Eesti Põlevkivi, the President could convince himself that there was no need to raise the price of oil-shale energy in the next few years.
In the afternoon, the President will visit the Repo Factories at Püssi and meet with members of the Farmer's Union of Ida-Virumaa and mayors of local communities in the community house of Maidla.
Mrs Ingrid Rüütel has visited quite a lot of cultural institutions, the Vaivara village society, the Voka children's home and the Jõhvi nursing home in Ida-Virumaa.
The President and Mrs Ingrid Rüütel will end their visit to Ida-Virumaa tonight.
Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, January 30, 2002
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