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The President of the Republic is in Lithuania02.08.2002
The President of Estonia, Arnold Rüütel, the President of Latvia, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, and the President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, having arrived to the celebrations on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Klaipeda, today at noon met with the Head of State of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, at Palanga.
During their meeting of half an hour, the idea of the Polish President to form an alliance of the Middle-European countries was discussed. The Polish President, in addition, voiced his conviction that the Baltic States in autumn would receive an invitation to join NATO.
President Kwasniewski informed his colleagues about his recent visit to the USA where the President of the United States, George Bush, had taken a positive stand on the aforementioned idea of a Middle-European alliance which would constitute an effective form of co-operation between the Visehrad Group and the so-called Vilnius Ten, and of strengthening the regional security. President Kwasniewski suggested that they should meet again at the beginning of the next year in Warsaw to continue discussions of the idea.
Arnold Rüütel acknowledged the initiative of President Kwasniewski having raised this essential issue. Even if not all the candidate countries should be invited to join the European Union or NATO, they still would want to continue the co-operation between them in order to achieve the goals once set. How to do this, is definitely worth further discussions, President Rüütel said.
President Adamkus stressed that the plan of an alliance of the Middle-European countries put forward by the Head of State of Poland would not damage the unity of the Baltic States. As noted by President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia, Latvia was ready to all-round contacts and welcomed an extension of regional co-operation too. The Heads of the Baltic States participating in the summit shared the position articulated by the President of Poland that all the candidate countries should meet the criteria set by NATO.
In the afternoon, President Arnold Rüütel and Mrs Ingrid Rüütel attended the anniversary celebrations of Klaipeda and saw the sights of Nida. In the evening, the President of Lithuania will host a dinner in honour of the guests.
The President of the Republic will return to Tallinn late this evening.
Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, August 2, 2002
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