Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at a state dinner in Tallinn on 9 September 2003

It is a great pleasure and honour for me to speak to you here in Tallinn, which is lovely in the early autumn. The past decade has been truly eventful. Estonians' hopes for developing your own life and country have been high and you have achieved a lot. You have also worked hard to stabilize your country's position in the international community.

You have long been full members of the OSCE and the Council of Europe. Membership of Nato is already a fact. Next Sunday Estonians will vote on whether to join the European Union.

As a Finn I am glad that Estonians' tough and persevering work to develop your country has made it possible to take this important step. Credit for your fine achievements is due above all to the persevering efforts of the people of Estonia, although many friends have of course helped you according to their possibilities.

The people of Estonia endured great hardships in the last century. When they vote next Sunday, the people of Estonia will exercise their sovereign right as a free nation to choose their path in the new Europe. We Finns will respect Estonians' decision, whatever it is. We will still be neighbours and Finns will remain Estonians' cousins and friends.

It is no secret that we Finns welcome you warmly to the European Union, however.

We are neighbours, which in itself means a great deal. But relations between Finland and Estonia are also based on a common linguistic and cultural heritage, which is today enriched by an unprecedented level of cooperation. Steadily increasing contacts and market integration have made the northern and southern shores of the Gulf of Finland an area of vital and positive European change.

The future holds many challenges, however. Changes in our own continent are only part of global development. The European Union, with all its faults, is a community through which we can work to make the world a better and safer place for ourselves and our children. We can ensure our possibilities to increase prosperity and to receive common resources in our part of Europe.

If Estonians so decide, Estonia will become a full-fledged member of the enlarged EU. This will also influence our bilateral relations by providing entirely new possibilities for cooperation. A study commissioned by our prime ministers on "Finland and Estonia in the European Union" offers ingredients for cooperation between state bodies and civic organizations in the future. It is no exaggeration to say that Finland and Estonia have prepared quite conscientiously for cooperation in the new Europe.

The economy and prosperity are important matters for everyone. For small countries such as Finland and Estonia, preserving and developing our own national culture is also a constant concern. A healthy criticalness and thorough examination and deliberation make us in some people's opinion cautious and even a bit distrustful. But a small country cannot afford to make mistakes. An approach which is down-to-earth but prepared for cooperation is an altogether effective model in international dealings.

But in a globalizing world, all the European countries are small. Fortunately we have been able to turn this to our advantage. An integrating economy and a richness of cultures is a creative combination. Finns' experience of Union membership has mainly been positive up to now. Our language and identity have been preserved and have even become stronger in an integrating Europe. I believe that this is also possible for the language and culture of Estonia.

Mr President, allow me to propose a toast to the success and well-being of yourself and the people of Estonia and to the flourishing of your national culture.