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The President of the Republic at the business forum "Business as a Lifestyle" on November 8, 2002
08.11.2002


Honourable Entrepreneurs,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am glad to be in your midst attending the opening event of the Business Year. It is just right and in a way symbolic to mark the beginning of this year by a forum dealing with small business.

It has been one of the objectives of Estonian reform plans to create favourable conditions for development of business. These reforms: renewal of legal system, introduction of our own currency and privatisation, were carried through at a general level. Today we realize that there is a need to continue this work at a new level - at the level of people.

Therefore, I would like to avoid pompous words and promises today. I would rather focus on people, notably enterprising people like you in this room.

The Estonian people at all times have been enterprising people. The Estonian farmer for ages has been the most typical small entrepreneur who has made nearly everything relying on his own wit and strength: be it work in his fields and woods or accounting and marketing. For the sake of his main source of living - his land, he was even ready to risk his life.

And still, comparing ourselves with Europe, we must admit that there are relatively few businessmen in today's Estonia. Being aware of the legacy from the last decades, it is not surprising. I believe that, to this day, we have not made use of our entire potential, have not in due course valued the qualities characteristic of businessmen. What qualities am I referring to?

A businessman must be capable of seeing new, hitherto unused chances. But that is not enough. A businessman must have courage to take risks, but also a sound sense to turn these chances into a functioning business. The business is at the same time a way of life and thinking. Whereas we must not forget that seeking and taking new chances, to a successful businessman, is a continuous process rather than a one-off event.

Dear Friends,

Ideas and daring are needed to set up a business, but love of work is paramount. A work made with love bears good fruit. Only honest work can be the source of respectability of an Estonian businessman.

We can succeed only once we understand that we need not necessarily work more but we certainly must work better. In addition to one's hands, also one's wit has to be set to work. "Brains are Estonia's most important natural resources," Mart Saarma, a researcher of Estonian origin, has said thinking about the future of Estonia. What I want to say is that these are resources, which are not dwindling but growing while being used. Thus, we must invest in brains, must use opportunities for individual development and retraining.

It looks quite frequently as if there were a lack of time and money for studying. For this reason, I appreciate the efforts made over the last few years by the Estonian state in order to offer its support through the Enterprise Estonia or the Foundation for Rural Development. I also appreciate business organisations promoting a constructive dialogue between the state and businessmen. Hopefully they will continue doing it in future at the level of the European Union.

Finally, I would like to touch upon responsibility. Scientists have done research on in which countries people have a happy life. It appeared analysing peoples views that wealth alone does not make happy. On the contrary, people are happy living in countries with a high degree of mutual trust, good and reliable government, and low level of corruption. In other words, for the sake of a better future we have to build a state, in which a word of honour is just as good a guarantee as a document certified by notary's seal, in which employers feel their responsibility for employees, and everyone feels his responsibility for our environment of life.

We would not make it if we equate the state with government, parliament or any other institution. The state has several levels, but everything begins with its citizens, with individuals; consequently with you too, dear listeners, and with me alike. I thank my fate for living in a country with businessmen who, apart from their good ideas and daring, are fond of work, wise, honest and responsible. I do hope that this is just the start.

I wish you a great success and thank you for listening.


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