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The President of the Republic of Estonia at Nobel Institute on April 10, 2002 in Oslo10.04.2002
Regional Co-operation as a guarantee of democracy and stability in Europe
Excellencies!
Ladies and Gentlemen!
To begin with I would like to thank the Norwegian Atlantic Committee for the possibility to exchange with you ideas on the potential developments of the co-operation between our peoples and states in the changing world here at such a venue of distinguished history and mission - the Nobel Institute. Throughout the century the Institute has contributed to securing peace as the primary condition for societal development and existence as well as a permanent value understandable for all nations.
Definitely permanent values include the inalienable right of the peoples to select their own development path and the right to democratic social order as well as the co-operation between peoples and states to secure peace, common security and stable development.
The twentieth century was a conflicting one. It has been called a century fatal for nations - a century of violence and evil, defeat and destruction. But for the nations it was also a century of emerging hopes, discovery of truth and victory of democracy.
For Estonia the century that has passed into history has a special and multiple meaning. Between two large wars the Estonians were able to establish independent statehood on the coast of the Baltic Sea where we have lived for thousands of years. Then a foreign power brutally deprived us of our independence for fifty years and we were able to restore it only in the last decade of the century.
In order to better understand the present and be realistic in future expectations, it is necessary to know the past. This is the paradox of development. Allow me to treat the stability guarantees for democracy and future in Europe from the perspective of the recent historic experience of the Estonian people.
Estonia is an independent sovereign republic - was the wording used in § 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia that was in force during the previous independence. Just twelve years have passed since the re-enforcement of the provision by the former Estonian Supreme Soviet, then still captive in the Soviet empire.
Such a resolution lacked both internal and international guarantees. We could only rely on perestroika, the so-called new Soviet "thaw". In order to create internal guarantees to our independence, we had to draft solutions taking into consideration different political aspirations but also to foresee and to prevent potential internal tension.
The last fifty years had destroyed the political, economic and legal base for our independent existence and decision-making, which had to be re-established in order to be able to restore integration with the European economic, cultural and defence co-operation network.
The decision to restore independence lacked also international guarantees although for the last fifty years democratic countries had exercised pressure not to recognise the occupation of the Baltic States and their forced incorporation into the Soviet Union.
The guarantee of our restored independence lied in restoring co-operation with democratic states and organisations. First and foremost I would like to single out the restoration of regional Baltic co-operation, which found its outlet as the Council of the Baltic States in its relations with the democratic world. The first form of regional co-operation during the restoration of our independence had double efficiency because on the opposite coast of the Baltic Sea the Nordic Council firmly supported the Baltic States.
Was the collapse of the Soviet empire and restoration of democracy and independence both in the annexed countries and Eastern European satellite states a gift of the fatal century, a merit of a few individuals or a concurrence of circumstances? We know for sure that neither superficial optimists nor distinguished research institutes could forecast the time of the events.
The truth lies probably in the recommendation to deal with the history retrospectively from a longer perspective. However initial lessons of democracy can already be singled out. What does the harsh lesson of fifty years that had a major impact on the last century teach us?
Primarily that inner development resource of any totalitarian system will sooner or later exhaust itself. Violence and fabrications cannot be sustainable sources of power for the society. Therefore a closed system has to be opened at least for a moment to gain strength. Time will crumble constructions of a long-closed room so that any slightly stronger blow could turn gilded grandeur and painted mightiness into dust of history.
The Declaration of Independence adopted in 1988 in Estonia was the first powerful blow to the constructions of the Soviet empire. The further actions inspired by the will of the people but carefully considered led to the full restoration of independence without a single drop of blood in 1991.
The second lesson of democracy was the recognition that only the nation, which has preserved its nationality and identity, can restore independence and a democratic state. This helps the nation to understand and re-create democratic values. The Estonian people have suffered tremendous losses because of the annexation, war and repression but it preserved its language and culture. Relying on our historic heritage our people have restored also the democratic social order.
The first steps taken on the path to restore Estonia's independence in 1988 reinforced and valued national identity. We proclaimed our historical blue-black-and-white colour combination our national colours, cornflower and barn swallow our national symbols and gave the endangered national language the status of the state language.
The third lesson of democracy could be called the mutually supportive and considerate co-operation with other states and peoples, which respect and firmly protect the same values.
This lesson is also of major importance for Estonia's further development. In the globalising world we are developing regional co-operation in different spheres. We co-operate with other Baltic states, with eight countries within Nordic-Baltic co-operation, within the Baltic Sea States framework, the European Economic Area and the European Union as well as NATO. The last two forms of co-operation - the European Union and NATO - have for different reasons become central in our foreign policy. These two parallel and complimentary processes are significant for us vis-à-vis new opportunities. In order to catch up with the states far ahead of us, to achieve high living standard, to secure sustainable development we need security and integration into Europe.
In this context I am pleased to enlarge upon our stable relations with Norway.
We should begin with assuring that Estonia and Norway are situated in quite a peaceful and co-operation-oriented part of Europe. Here we talk more of potential, not real threats, of crisis preparedness, not of conflicts.
Our relations have been supportive, stable, future-oriented. Norway has never recognised the forced loss of independence and has fully supported the striving for independence in all the Baltic countries. Norway re-recognised our independent statehood on 27 August 1991.
Trying to explain the unity of our aspirations and stability of relations we could find the answer in the similar way of life, culture and sustainable attitude to life of the Nordic peoples. Our geographic location and attitude to life make us look further into the future as severe nature yields nothing easy. It rather motivates us to pull ourselves together and often head for battle. This frame of mind is common for our nations and fortunately also a secure foundation for our further co-operation that is confirmed by our mutual interest in the language, literature, music and art as well as in quickly developing relations between top artists and amateurs.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Democracy is not a gift from the gods to the peoples. We witness it every day and everywhere when we learn about violence and its victims all over the world. Definitely democracy needs guarantees in its development. One of the guarantees is the expanding and diversifying co-operation between states and peoples.
Future Europe could be treated as integration of regional interests that uses various forms of regional partnership and co-operation in order to secure the protection of democratic values and stable development of the states and nations and takes into account both interests of all the states and regional differences.
Co-operation presumes economic stability and sustainable development of the states.
The radical reforms of 1990s established a favourable environment for enhancing market economy and foreign investments. Estonia's economy with its growth rate exceeding five per cent a year for several years already has been one of the most successful among transition economies. Today we admit that due to stable economic environment the volume of foreign direct investment has significantly grown, also in the financial and insurance sectors. This should reduce the doubt of the people who take Estonia's independence as something unstable.
Rapid economic changes have also their drawbacks. Here we may single out Estonia's unbalanced regional development and slow adjustment to extensive changes, expressed in unemployment and pronounced social stratification of the society. Currently, having reached together with other candidate countries a decisive phase of the accession negotiations with the European Union, we have set ourselves a task to be more balanced in our further development and resort to vigorous social policy in order to find solutions to societal concerns.
We can admit that Estonia has reached the end of the transition period in its development. Further success presumes also the expansion of transboundary co-operation: both with the countries inside and outside of the European Union. Such co-operation is based on regional interests.
In the relations between Estonia and Norway I would like to emphasise the growth in bilateral trade and Norway's investments in Estonia. Norwegian capital has established about 130 companies in Estonia. Expanding economic co-operation will definitely enhance success in the entire Baltic region that is already proved by Statoil becoming the most vigorous fuel company in the Baltic market. It is a pleasure to see also interest in Estonian businessmen in Norway. I do believe that Estonian goods and services will gain over the Norwegian market. I would also underline joint activities in information technology as well as co-operation in combating crime and terrorism.
Last month I had an opportunity to visit the Republic of Poland and discuss expansion of potential co-operation on the southern axis of the Baltic Sea. During the meetings here in Norway we can recognise new dimensions in the co-operation within the Baltic Sea region also from the northern perspective. This opens up new opportunities to expand Estonian-Norwegian relations and to involve Russia in equal and mutually beneficial co-operation.
Our co-operation in Future Europe should be based on well-organised research. Today I would like to single out the facets of our co-operation, which are being developed by our scientists and research institutes and co-ordinated by various institutions. I am talking about future co-operation vis-à-vis Electricity Ring and Gas Grid. I consider especially important those fields of co-operation that involve joint activities in protecting marine environment, studying climate changes, transboundary air pollution and nuclear safety, depositing radioactive waste and in other aspects of sustainable development in order to secure decent environment also for future generations.
The more diversified is the co-operation, the more stable is the society as the interaction of different co-operation forms creates a social safety net. The further development preconditions enhanced and tighter networking. Now I would like to focus on a field of co-operation that involves the development of regional democratic institutions, primarily local governments.
Local governments play a central role both in securing stable democracy and democratic organisation of the society. The local governments in Estonia had undergone a long development by the time their continuity was interrupted for fifty years. During the restoration of independence we had to revive extinguished democratic traditions.
It is a pleasure to see Estonian and Norwegian local governments to develop diversified relations over the recent years. The sustainability of the co-operation lies in the intent of Estonian and Norwegian local governments' associations to jointly study and develop Estonian administrative organisation of the local governments in order to bring it into compliance with the specificity of a small country and involve critically revised experience of European local governments.
Europe's stable development is guaranteed by security co-operation. Estonia has clearly expressed its request to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. We have accentuated that our objective in joining NATO will not be to consume security but offer our equal partnership in ensuring international security and protecting democracy.
We cannot contribute large units but we can deploy equally important specialised small units for NATO tasks. This was recently confirmed by the resolution of the Estonian Riigikogu to send a fifteen-member Estonian unit to Kyrgyzstan to participate in the operation Enduring Freedom within the Danish unit. Estonia's contribution in absolute terms is small but our partners have been positive about the defence expenditure per capita.
Estonia has consistently worked on the NATO direction as reflected in the increasing support of the Estonians to the accession to the Alliance. It is also significant to stress the consensus between the political forces represented in the Riigikogu in approving the national security concept in 2001, strengthening the legislative base and rising the defence expenditure to two per cent of gross domestic product in this year's budget.
Thus, we can speak about Estonia as a state that would like to be a reliable partner in defence issues despite its small size and economic development level.
The Baltic defence co-operation has also been efficient with such landmarks as BALTDEFCOL - the Baltic Defence College in Tartu, BALTBAT - Baltic Battalion, BALTNET - Baltic Integrated Air Surveillance Network, BALTRON - Baltic Naval Squadron.
Joint defence projects are vital for rational use of resources. Estonia supports simultaneous accession of the Baltic States to NATO both as a militarily and politically logic step.
I would like to express our special gratitude and recognition to Norway for the support and assistance provided to us for our accession to NATO. The contribution made throughout the years is significant: the framework agreement on defence co-operation concluded in 1995 has developed into annual military co-operation action plan since 2000. According to the plan Estonia has received various assistance in building up its defence forces and making them compatible with NATO standards.
Throughout the last year we have been increasingly active in the NATO direction, creating a good chance to get an invitation to join NATO at the Prague Summit this fall.
The Baltic States' accession to NATO creates a new security situation in the Baltic Sea region and for the Baltic Sea States, enhancing security and stability in Europe as a whole. This is also the starting point to develop our relations with Russia. In single cases the relations have been overshadowed by the heritage from the past whereas the overall development leads to good neighbourly, mutually beneficial and each other's interests respecting co-operation. Joint activities in the Baltic Sea region in the vital interests of both states should give a new dimension and content to the co-operation.
Ladies and gentlemen!
The history and development of relations during the last decade between Estonia and Norway have established a firm base to sharing responsibility with other countries in enhancing democracy and securing stability in Europe. Sincere meetings and mutual understanding during the current visit is a proof of the above.
Thank you.
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