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 | Speeches | | |
The President of the Republic in the Defence League on October 9, 200109.10.2001
Dear President Lennart Meri!
Dear Commander of the Defence Forces!
Dear Chief of the Defence League!
Dear members of the Defence League!
Ladies and gentlemen!
On Sunday, the United States of America started a war against the footholds of international terrorism. In this war, the partners of the United States in NATO as well as the majority of developed countries are supporting the United States of America. This shows us that international terrorism is not just a problem of the United States of America. In Estonia, it may seem to us that all this is somewhere far away. But this is how it looked also to the inhabitants of New York and Washington. On September 11, the world changed. It also changed for us. Today we must demonstrate that we are prepared to contribute to the guaranteeing of common security; then we will also be supported by others.
Estonia's accession to NATO is the priority of our foreign and defence policy; which I strongly support. It is my intention to work towards the goal of Estonia being invited to the North Atlantic Alliance on the Prague Summit in 2002.
Dear members of the Defence League.
For every Estonian man, it is a duty of honour to defend his home. The Defence League has been the salt of the earth, just as the teachers. It is a privilege to be a member, and it is impossible to overestimate the role of the Defence League in shaping the whole nation's will to defend.
At the time when Estonia's independence was restored, ten years ago, we also started the organisation of national defence from zero. We had no officers, no field uniforms or even blankets. But the country had to be protected, and also the outside world needed to see some signs of our readiness for defence.
The seriousness of our aspirations was proved by the fact that already a few months after the August coup, it was possible for me to confer the first military ranks to the officers of the Republic of Estonia after World War II. It was the units of the Defence League and the Border Guard who stood lined up at the Vabaduse Square on the first Independence Day after the restoration of our independence; our infantry battalions were still under formation at the time.
Also, I remember the reinstatement of the Defence League in 1991. The Defence League had already been re-established by brave and patriotic people, but it needed to be legalised as an organisation of national defence, above all because thus it could also start fulfilling its crucial role in the society.
Today, Estonia is building up a European system of national defence. The basic documents of national defence have been adopted, the most necessary training bases have been built, and there is a modern education system for officers and NCOs. Conscription has become a self-evident chapter in the life of every healthy young man.
For years, we have been able to render assistance to peacekeeping and peaceguarding missions in the crisis areas of the world. Estonia is closer to the invitation to NATO than she ever was before.
For this reason, we must also support keeping the national defence budget on the level that would enable us to create a national defence that could be taken seriously, and to demonstrate to the whole world Estonia's commitment to defend her national statehood and her readiness to jointly guarantee world security.
The new security policy situation in the world also makes it necessary for us to reconsider our security doctrine. Estonia's defence strategy was adopted in the beginning of this year. As the Supreme Commander of National Defence, I would like to remind you once more that it is the executive power that is responsible for the fast realisation of its principles. From my conversations with Rear Admiral Tarmo Kõuts, the Commander of the Defence Forces, I have understood that detailed plans of total defence, mobilisation system, and development of the defence forces are currently being drawn up in the General Staff.
Total defence, which is the basis of Estonia's security policy, presumes thorough ties between the national defence and the entire society. It is the total defence that creates the opportunities and gives us the strength for the effective intimidation of any possible offenders and checking any aggression.
In other words, total defence means that in the situation of crisis, the whole of our society with all its resources is prepared to fight for the state and the nation. This was so at the times of the War of Liberty, and this must be so in the future.
Armed people are a specific feature of Estonian democracy. Not every country in the world dares to trust its people with weapons for the defence of their homes and their country. The Republic of Estonia does. The military defence of Estonia rests firmly on the Defence League as a supporting pillar of the total defence, and on the national defence forces as its other pillar of support.
The latest polls indicate a heart-warming increase of the will to defend our country in all the social groups of our citizens. This is one of the services of the Defence League.
As a member of the Council of Elders of the Defence League, I have for years been connected to the activities of this organisation and dare to say so with conviction. But the role of the Defence League cannot be limited to military training. This means that the Defence League also has the task to participate in the patriotic education of our children, in developing culture and sports, and in engaging women in the tasks of national defence. Just as it was before 1940. Another important task is to participate in the removal of the consequences of natural and other disasters and major accidents. Thus, the Defence League has an important role in creating a wholly safe Estonia. The recent terrorist attacks to the United States of America only confirmed the inseparability of internal and external security. Or, as my predecessor Lennart Meri used to emphasise constantly: security is indivisible.
Today we have gathered here to confer the I Class Badge of Diligence of the White Cross of the Defence League - the highest decoration of the Defence League - on President Lennart Meri, who has left office. This badge was founded in the year 1929, and this is for the first time for the Defence League to issue the highest, the first class of this badge. Lennart Meri's services in the re-establishment of the national defence of Estonia and strengthening the Defence League are beyond doubt. Today, we have an all-Estonian functioning organisation that has overcome its growing pains and gains wider support among the people of Estonia every year. For this, I would like to thank everybody present here. The steps have not always been as long as they could have been. Part of the time has been lost in disputes over matters that have in fact been agreed long ago. Now, the time of arguments should be past. In our further development we should follow a more efficient pace, because history might not give us a third chance.
I wish strength and unanimity to us all!
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