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President Ilves: Great Britain is one of Estonia’s most important strategic partners

30.11.2007

Yesterday in Kadriorg, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves received Peter Carter, the British Ambassador, who presented his credentials to the Estonian Head of State.

“Great Britain is one of Estonia’s most important strategic partners, with whom we share similar views regarding both foreign policy and security issues,” said President Ilves.

He recalled that an Estonian infantry company is serving in southern Afghanistan under British military command, saying that the Estonians and British are good brothers-in-arms, who together are helping to make one of the world’s insecure corners safer.

The Estonian Head of State and British Ambassador affirmed that in the European Union their countries share similar views in many fields, and both Tallinn and London hope that cooperation will continue in issues related to enlargement, neighborhood policy, energy, and innovation.

When presenting his credentials, Ambassador Carter said, “It is a great honor for me to be the sixth British Ambassador since the restoration of Estonia’s independence. Only 20 years ago, no one would have anticipated the unprecedented development that Estonia has undergone in such a short time. I am very pleased to see that you have restored your country with great care and thoroughness. Estonians have again become the citizens of a modern and rapidly developing European country, and that Estonia is successfully performing the obligations it has accepted as a European Union and NATO member state.”

President Ilves added that if Estonia and Great Britain were to look for a problem in their mutual relations that needs to be resolved, it would definitely be to increase economic relations.

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