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The President of the Republic: the Estonian language also needs cultivation and protection31.01.2002
 This afternoon, President Arnold Rüütel met the Members of the Estonian Co-ordinating Committee of the European Year of Languages: Mr Mati Erelt, Professor at Tartu University, Ms Irina Külmoja, Professor at Tartu University, Ms Suliko Liiv, Professor at Tallinn Pedagogical University, Ms Anne Lind, Directress of the Tallinn Institute of German Culture/Goethe Institute, Ms Kristi Mere, Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Education, Ms Helle Metslang, Professor at Tallinn Pedagogical University, Mr Mart Rannut, Assistant Professor at Tallinn Pedagogical University, Mr Urmas Sutrop, Director of the Institute of the Estonian Language, Mr Tõnu Tender, Head of the Language Unit of the Ministry of Education, Mr Jüri Valge, Adviser on Language Policy at the Ministry of Education, Ms Silvi Vare, Senior Research Fellow at Tallinn Pedagogical University, Mr Enn Veldi, Assistant Professor at Tartu University, Mr Jüri Viikberg, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of the Estonian Language, Mr Tiit-Rein Viitso, Professor at Tartu University and Mr Haldur Õim, Professor at Tartu University.
The above committee was established in 2000 to prepare the European Year of Languages and to work out a strategy for the development of the Estonian language. The scientists turned to the Head of State wishing to acquaint him with the performance of the committee so far and to explain to him the necessity to work out a strategy for Estonian.
President Rüütel valued highly the work of the experts and the way they had set their aims and, on his part, raised a series of further problems connected with teaching Estonian in the schools with Russian as the language of instruction, including schools in such regions as the county of Ida-Virumaa. The President also shared the concern of the scientists about the state of the Estonian language in general and deemed it necessary to carry out respective research work.
They noted jointly that developing and protecting the Estonian language was our constitutional task, and co-operation between all relevant institutions was needed in this sphere. The experts emphasized that scientific analysis should precede political and legislative decisions only in this case we could be sure that the survival and development of our mother tongue are guaranteed in every respect.
President Arnold Rüütel promised to deepen his dialogue with the members of the committee and to support the scientists in their undertakings.
Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, January 31, 2002
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