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The President of the Republic thanks everyone who has worked on the Estlink project

04.12.2006

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves participated in the opening of the Estlink submarine power cable from Estonia to Finland at the Harku Substation today. Returning from the opening, President Ilves called this a historical day, when Estonia will get another connection to Europe.

“This is an energy window to Europe and an important day for us, since from now on, we are no longer closely tied to our past in such a contemporary security field, as energy security,” said the Estonian Head of State. “Guaranteeing our energy security does not stop with this step, rather it is just the beginning, but we have taken a giant step forward.”

According to President Ilves, Estlink is a very fruitful cooperative project between Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. “This is the kind of cooperation that we need in the European Union, especially in the Baltic Sea Region. The Estlink project has created an excellent basis to continue energy-related cooperation with our close partners,” remarked the Estonian Head of State.

President Ilves said that energy security is, and will remain, one of the most important security topics in the world, and especially in Europe, during the next few years. “The winners will be those who are able to cooperate in guaranteeing their energy-related security and to create the necessary preconditions for this cooperation—trust. The Estlink project is a good example of how fast results can be achieved when trust exists between nations,” he said.

The Estonian Head of State thanks everyone who has worked to accomplish this project. “I am convinced that on the shores of the Baltic Sea, energy-related cooperation will continue to flourish in the future,” said President Ilves.

Public Relations Department of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, 4 December 2006