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The President of the Republic at the Festive Dinner in Warsaw, on March 18, 200218.03.2002
Your Excellency, President of the Republic of Poland,
Honourable Mrs Jolanta Kwaśniewska,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I rejoice with all my heart at the possibility to be on a state visit to the Republic of Poland. All this day, both I and my wife have experienced special warmth and friendliness here. This testifies to good relations existing between our two countries, founded on the one hand on the centuries-old history and, on the other hand on the close co-operation in the modern world.
Our relations are characterized by mutual understanding. Both Estonia and Poland have been successful reform-countries and both of us are making efforts to prepare for the accession to the European Union. Poland has expressed its firm support to the Estonian aspirations to join NATO and we are much obliged to you for this support. We, for our part, have sympathized with your successes as well - during the events of 1980s and also in the time when Poland was invited to join NATO.
How much do the Estonians know about Poland or the Poles about Estonia today? Maybe we have become somewhat estranged from each other over the last decades but, gradually, we are discovering each other again. Yet, there are still plenty of possibilities to develop understandings rid of stereotypes and to reach deeper knowledge. I hope that my present visit contributes to this process, at the same time also strengthening contacts between our businessmen.
The rather long history of Estonian-Polish relations comprises different events and facts. So, for example, we can read in history books about a college of Jesuits and a seminar for interpreters established at the end of the 16th century in Tartu. In 1584, King Stefan Batory of Poland permitted the City of Tartu to use the red and white flag, which is in use as the flag of Tartu up to date, and on the city`s coat of arms the Polish crown, which used to be there up to 1918.
Before World War II, Polish students and scientists of different fields at the Tartu University and equally Estonian scientists and students in Poland testified to the existence of intense contacts in the field of education and science. In those days, the Tartu University awarded honorary doctorate to nine outstanding Polish scientists, including Ignacy Mościcki, the President of Poland, who paid Estonia his first visit abroad.
World War II has broken off our relations. Estonia and Poland have a similar, sad historical and political experience. But today, we are living in a new era and both Estonia and Poland are sovereign and independent nations again. In July 1995 in Tallinn, several agreements concerning the relations between Estonia and Poland, including the Agreement on friendly Co-operation and Neighbourliness of the Baltic Sea States, were signed.
Today we can observe that the relations and co-operation between Estonia and Poland are growing more and more active, covering almost all areas of life. And, I am confident, personal contacts between our countries and people are by no means less important. Mr President, you have made remarkable personal contributions to the development of relations between our two nations, and we are very grateful to you for the encouraging and supporting words in respect of our aspirations towards NATO.
Mr President, permit me to raise my glass to the health of you and Mrs Jolanta Kwaśniewska, to the well-being of the Polish people and the prosperity of the Republic of Poland.
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