Credentials Statement of Ambassador Väino Reinart (18.September 2007)
18.09.2007
REMARKS OF AMBASSADOR VÄINO REINART
ON THE OCCASION OF HIS PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS TO
THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH,
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
SEPTEMBER 18, 2007
Mr. President,
It is my honor and a distinct privilege to be here today and present you with the Letter of Credence by which the President of the Republic of Estonia has accredited me as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia to the United States of America. At the same time I avail myself of this opportunity to present the Letter of Recall of my predecessor, Ambassador Jüri Luik.
Allow me to start with conveying the warmest greetings from President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and to reaffirm on his behalf the importance given to further developing the already strong relations established between our two countries and people.
Because Estonia and the United States honor common values and share similar interests, we have created and enjoyed a trustworthy and strong relationship from the establishment of relations with the Estonian Republic over 85 years ago and standing firm through the trials experienced during the Cold War period. Estonia remains thankful to the United States for not recognizing the decades-long Soviet occupation of the Baltic States—and for the courage and hope given to the people of Estonia through this important decision of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This support helped Estonia survive through the dark decades of occupation, and provided Estonia a beacon of light which led my nation back to freedom.
Mr. President, it is my pleasure to recall your words from the dedication of the Victims of Communism Memorial on June 12th of this year, ‘that freedom is precious and cannot be taken for granted’ and it is indeed important to recognize that, if unchecked by a coalition of democratic and free states ‘hateful ideologies will commit unspeakable crimes and take the lives of millions’. Estonia suffered these consequences, and these memories of sacrifice and loss because of totalitarianism are still fresh. It is therefore, a true honor for me to work within a country that recognizes the outrage of authoritarian regimes with such clarity and conviction.
Today, as a member of NATO and the EU, Estonia embraces our responsibility to provide security to regions destabilized by civil strife and is honored to participate in crisis management and peace operations in coalition with our partners and allies. Estonia is honored and highly motivated to contribute to international efforts for creating peace and freedom in places where people still suffer under authoritarian regimes and the inevitable accompanying insecurity, like those in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the same time, it is my pleasure to note that, thanks to international support and well organized cooperation, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine are making great strides towards obtaining those time honored values our nations hold so dear.
Our membership in the EU has created a new dimension to our already active relationship; Estonia supports maintaining and further developing solid relations between the EU and the United States. Estonia also supports further economic integration and political consensus between America and Europe. During the last EU and US summit here in Washington, our shared values and responsibilities were highlighted: important security policy issues were discussed and we agreed upon the New Economic Partnership. These achievements clearly show the progress that can be achieved when likeminded and cooperating countries have the ability to rely upon their strong relations to provide a forum in which complicated issues can be discussed openly and freely. Effective cooperation between the EU and the United States will inspire stability throughout the world. We also want to harness this positive energy of our active relationship to intensify cooperation in energy security.
Estonia has some of the most liberal trade and investment laws in the world, and has been among the fastest-growing economies in the region. Although being a small country, Estonia has a great deal to offer to foreign investors and international businesspeople. The United States has been important economic partner for Estonia, and I hope this relationship continues to develop thriving trade, scientific cooperation and tourism. Estonia welcomes the decision of the US Congress to expand the United States Visa Waiver Program, which hopefully leads to visa-free traveling between our two nations in the near future. It not only offers a very clear example of the trust and goodwill between our two nations, but it also offers a fresh impetus for both our peoples to reach out, learn from each other, and establish new lines of cooperation and communication.
Mr. President, I assure you that, in taking the responsibilities of my office, I will devote all my energy to the promotion and strengthening of the ties between our two countries and peoples, in every manner of political, economic and cultural endeavor.
 
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