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The President of the Republic conferred a state decoration on Günter Verheugen02.05.2005
 President Arnold Rüütel today at Kadriorg conferred the 1st class Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana on Vice-President of the European Commission Günter Verheugen.
The President of the Republic congratulated Günter Verheugen and thanked him for his assistance in connection with organising the accession of Estonia to the European Union. "You have supported Estonia's accession to the European Union and advised us on the fulfilment of the accession criteria. Pleasant cooperation has continue also now, in your new office as Vice-President of the European Commission," President Rüütel said.
Günter Verheugen, who is currently a commissioner responsible for Enterprise and Industry in the European Commission, thanked the Head of Estonian State for the honour bestowed on him. "Estonia became a member of the European Union without any problem. Today, a year after the enlargement, the European Union can say with certainty that such extensive enlargement was a necessary and natural process," Günter Verheugen said.
"At the present, very significant time, we celebrate 60 years since the end of WWII and 55 years since the Schuman Declaration, which became the foundation for building a united Europe. On that background we understand how important it is to safeguard and share common values. We should not allow any rewriting of the 20th century history. For Estonia and the other Baltic states the end of WWII did not mean liberation, but the beginning of a new occupation. We have a right to treat the European integration as the end of one period of history and the beginning of a new one. Now, when you are a EU member, we would like together to offer a better world to the future," Vice-President of the European Commission added.
The Head of Estonian state made a decision to confer the Estonian 1st Class Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana on Günter Verheugen on February 2, 2005 in connection with the Day of Independence and in recognition of organising the accession of Estonia to the European Union.
Public Relations Unit of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, May 2, 2005
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