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The President of the Republic met with the Federal Chancellor of Germany18.06.2003
President Arnold Rüütel on his working visit to Germany today met the Federal Chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Schröder, and discussed with him the current and future relations between our two countries.
The German Chancellor said that Germany had without reservations supported Estonias accession to the European Union and the relationship between the two countries could hardly be better. According to Chancellor Schröder, the presence of German capital in Estonia demonstrated that German businessmen had trust in Estonia but, at the same time, we should investigate ways how to promote our further cooperation.
At the meeting, also relations between Estonia and Russia were under discussion. The German Chancellor noted that all other countries definitely respected the good work done by Estonia in order to integrate its ethnic minorities into Estonian society, and that Estonia, in this respect, could serve as an example to other countries.
Federal Chancellor Schröder was interested in what would be the priorities during Estonias presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States. President Rüütel put forward the issues of environment, notably protection of the Baltic Sea including the need to ban the traffic of single-hull tankers. The German Chancellor supported these priorities.
According to the President of the Republic, Estonia on the Council of the Baltic Sea States intended to raise the topics of integrating the energy systems in the Baltic Sea region and completing the Via Baltica, which would improve the infrastructure of the region.
Chancellor Schröder and President Rüütel shared the view that the activities of the Council of the Baltic Sea States should coincide with the cooperation in the framework of the Nordic Dimension. Both of them noted that success of all these undertakings would accelerate development of this region of the European Union, which were in the interests of all nation-states concerned.
They also talked about the work of the European Convention. Both the German Chancellor and the Estonian Head of State observed that the Convention had achieved great success in their work, the results of which constituted a good basis for the Intergovernmental Conference.
Chancellor Schröder also reminisced his visit tot Estonia and the beautiful Old City of Tallinn, and said he will try to visit Estonia again in the future.
Office of the President
Kadriorg, June 18, 2003
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