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The President of the Republic held talks in the European Parliament
27.11.2002


The President of the Republic held talks in the European ParliamentPresident Arnold Rüütel on a working visit to Brussels today met with the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Joseph Daul.

The President speaking in the Committee on Foreign Affairs voiced confidence that Estonia would become a member of the European Union in the year 2004. "Although the Copenhagen Summit is still ahead, we already today can be quite sure that the enlargement of the European Union or actually the reunification of Europe will take place," the Estonian Head of State said. He also expressed satisfaction that, through the Convention, the candidate countries, too, had participated in shaping the future of Europe.

Answering questions of the members of the foreign affairs committee on public support to the accession to the European Union, President Rüütel explained that, according to opinion polls, half of Estonia's residents were for the accession and this kind of support had lasted already for a long time. At the same time, in the Head of State's view, the public support was strongly affected by how the questions, open so far, would be settled in the talks. Considering Estonia`s expectations and needs, of paramount importance to us were agriculture and financial issues, inter alia our expectation that Estonia's financial situation improved after the accession.

The committee members asked questions also about the integration of national minorities, our border guard and cross-border cooperation. The President noted that Estonia had experience in the field of cross-border cooperation and this enabled the new neighbours, as well, to embrace the EU's basic values.

The meeting was chaired by the Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Elmar Brok, who voiced confidence that he would soon have the opportunity to welcome Estonia as a full-fledged Member of the European Union. The committee members congratulated the President on the invitation of Estonia to accession talks with NATO.

At the subsequent meeting with Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Joseph Daul, under discussion were agriculture and environment, the latter being, according to President Rüütel, one of the indispensable values of Europe. "Agriculture, in turn, is a key to protecting the environment," the President added. Therefore, Europe increasing the share of organic farming was moving in the right direction. The President named the issues important to Estonia in the accession talks: the milk quota, reference crops of cereals, sheep farming, and direct payments. The milk quota, according to Joseph Daul, was in the EU a very sensitive issue.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, November 27, 2002


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