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Address by the President of the Republic of Estonia to the Participants of BIOBank Seminar in Oslo, April 10, 200210.04.2002
Chairman!
Dear participants!
The first ten years after the restoration of Estonia's independence have given us three significant landmarks. Firstly, a breakthrough in macroeconomics, which is evident in a stable annual growth of gross domestic product of five to six per cent, numerous foreign investments and active business activities.
The second factor of progress is information technology revolution, called Tiger Leap in Estonia. Today about forty per cent of our population uses the Internet regularly. Computers and computer networks have become an integral part of our life.
The third indicator of success is the rapid development of biotechnology. Estonia is becoming a significant contributor in biomedicine and materials technology. Genomics and biotechnology are gaining recognition on the national level as well: about a year ago the Estonian Parliament passed a unique law in the world - Human Gene Research Act. This law facilitated establishing an Estonian Genome Project. An idea outlined three years ago - to collect health and genetic data from a million people in Estonia - is being implemented. Besides the genome project also the efforts by Estonia scientists to discover a DNA-based vaccine to immunize against AIDS is significant. It is worthwhile to mention proprietary bioplast production technology that EstBiotech, a spin-off company at the University of Tartu, is currently working at.
The progress achieved by the Estonian scientists would be impossible without active international co-operation. It is impossible to overestimate the contribution and commitment of Oslo Biocentre in project implementation and in providing continuing training for the Estonia researchers. We are looking forward to ever-closer relations as well as to increasing Norwegian investments in Estonia. We are really pleased with the developments.
Dear participants,
I would also like to express concern about a potential conflict between gene technology and ethics. The international community has been very tentative vis-à-vis attempts to clone a human being. It is clear that the rapid development of life science has brought the mankind face to face with a fatal issue. The discovery of nuclear reaction, first atomic bomb and its use in the Second World War delivered a similar ethical problem.
Achievements in genomics and biotechnology have brought us closer to solving the mystery of life. Definitely they will be indispensable in improving the quality of life of people. However at one point we could face a choice that will threaten the life itself, the life people think they are masters of.
Therefore each achievement in the research world involves responsibility for its proper usage. I do believe that both Estonian and Norwegian genome researchers will make their valuable contribution not only to the development of life science in the world but also to the handling of ethical problems.
I wish you fruitful flights of fancy and a sense of mission in ensuring the future of our nations.
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