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The President of the Republic in Brussels opened the new building of Estonian Representation26.05.2004
 President Arnold Rüütel on Wednesday in Brussels opened a renovated building accommodating the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Estonia to the European Union. Before that, the Estonian Head of State met with the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, who at President Rüütel's invitation attended the opening ceremony, too.
"We must be able to put Estonia's interests into context of Europe's shared interests and to consistently explain our positions. In order to succeed in this, the whole state apparatus has to continuously carry out effective homework. Estonia is ready for and capable of making continuous efforts. Our preceding work done over the last decade, which has returned us to Europe provides proof of that," the President of the Republic opening the building of the representation said.
The meeting with European Commission President Romano Prodi addressed the most essential issues still facing the present membership of the European Commission, like the EU Constitutional Treaty and the European Parliament elections in June.
President Rüütel also explained Estonia's positions on the issue of ethnic minorities dealt with at the recent talks between the European Union and Russia. Romano Prodi noted that all Member States of the European Union needed to occupy themselves with the issue of ethnic minorities and acknowledged at the same time President Rüütel's active role in this respect, connected with the work of the President's Roundtable on National Minorities.
In the morning, President Rüütel met with the Governor of the Province of Antwerp, Camille Paulus. Their meeting addressed economic cooperation between Estonia and Belgium in general, and the close cooperation between the ports of Antwerp and Tallinn in particular. President Rüütel also visited the Antwerp Cathedral and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts to see, among other things, painter Peter Paul Rubens' masterly works.
President Rüütel after his working visit will return to Estonia on Thursday.
Public Relations Unit of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, May 26, 2004
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