Estonian, US leaders to speak about NATO, democracy in Tallinn

27.11.2006

TALLINN, Nov 27, BNS - At the meeting of Estonian and US leaders during their meeting in Tallinn on Tuesday the main issues to be touched on will be connected with NATO, the future of democracy as well as visa-free travel to the United States for Estonians, the daily Postimees reported.

Martin Jasko, media adviser for the Estonian government, told the daily Postimees that Estonian-US relations and development of democracy would be addressed during Prime Minister Andrus Anisp's meeting with President George W. Bush. He added that also the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as air space surveillance and visa issues would be taken up.

The main issue, however, will be development cooperation, Jasko said, as Estonia has become a country giving aid instead of one receiving it.

One of the main aims for Estonia is to ensure human rights and support the development of democracy in partner countries, among which Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Afghanistan take the main place.

In development cooperation projects of the recent years Estonia has mainly focused on sharing its reform and good governance experience with the partner countries, Jasko said.

According to Toomas Sildam, public relations adviser for President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the two presidents meeting immediately before NATO's Riga summit will certainly talk about enlargement of the alliance as well as encouragement to neighboring countries that have chosen freedom and democracy on their road to reform.

Besides, Sildam said the idea was also to speak about cooperation in Europe and European-US cooperation in Afghanistan, Iraq and in ensuring energy security.

The paper points out that the heads of states will among other things also talk about visa freedom.

Eric Johnson, press attache of the US embassy, said he didn't have the least idea of which President George W. Bush would like to talk during his visit to Estonia. "If I now told you everything, the president wouldn't have anything left to say," Johnson told the paper.

But he presumed Bush would probably thank Estonia for assistance in the Afghanistan and Iraq missions and for support to democracy in countries such as Moldova.

Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8835, sise@bns.eeTALLINN, Nov 27, BNS - At the meeting of Estonian and US leaders during their meeting in Tallinn on Tuesday the main issues to be touched on will be connected with NATO, the future of democracy as well as visa-free travel to the United States for Estonians, the daily Postimees reported.

Martin Jasko, media adviser for the Estonian government, told the daily Postimees that Estonian-US relations and development of democracy would be addressed during Prime Minister Andrus Anisp's meeting with President George W. Bush. He added that also the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as air space surveillance and visa issues would be taken up.

The main issue, however, will be development cooperation, Jasko said, as Estonia has become a country giving aid instead of one receiving it.

One of the main aims for Estonia is to ensure human rights and support the development of democracy in partner countries, among which Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Afghanistan take the main place.

In development cooperation projects of the recent years Estonia has mainly focused on sharing its reform and good governance experience with the partner countries, Jasko said.

According to Toomas Sildam, public relations adviser for President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the two presidents meeting immediately before NATO's Riga summit will certainly talk about enlargement of the alliance as well as encouragement to neighboring countries that have chosen freedom and democracy on their road to reform.

Besides, Sildam said the idea was also to speak about cooperation in Europe and European-US cooperation in Afghanistan, Iraq and in ensuring energy security.

The paper points out that the heads of states will among other things also talk about visa freedom.

Eric Johnson, press attache of the US embassy, said he didn't have the least idea of which President George W. Bush would like to talk during his visit to Estonia. "If I now told you everything, the president wouldn't have anything left to say," Johnson told the paper.

But he presumed Bush would probably thank Estonia for assistance in the Afghanistan and Iraq missions and for support to democracy in countries such as Moldova.

Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8835, sise@bns.ee