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President Ilves: we require a sense of responsibility and decisiveness

20.05.2009

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Evelin Ilves continued a two-day tour of Võru County today. President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Evelin Ilves continued a two-day tour of Võru County today.

At the Head of State’s breakfast with the local government leaders of Võru County at the Kubija Hotel, the topics under discussion included the receipt of revenues, employment and administrative reform. Special attention was paid to the need for better cooperation with Enterprise Estonia (EE); the local government leaders are worried by the pace of project processing.

According to President Ilves, it is important to reduce the bureaucracy in conducting business with EE, as well as in applying for EU supports.

The local government leaders are worried by the smouldering conflict in the government that is preventing the normal management of the country, and they asked for the Head of State’s help in getting the government to start working again.

President Ilves said that he hopes a decisive and energetic government, which will make the decisions Estonian needs and have the support of the parliament, is re-established in the country as quickly as possible.

“We do not have the time to lose weeks through quarrelling and mutual accusations, we require a sense of responsibility and decisiveness,” the Head of State stressed.

At Evelin Ilves’s meeting with Võru County women at the Café Katariina in Võru, the hosts spoke of women’s balancing roles and responsibilities during difficult times. They described the opportunities for developing enterprise, including social enterprise, in rural areas.

During the conversation, an idea developed that Võru County’s energetic women could combine their energy and ideas for creating new jobs and that this could have an impact beyond the borders of Võru County. It was stressed that a feeling of being shoulder-to-shoulder is important both locally as well as nationally.

The Head of State and Evelin Ilves visited Kaja and Jako Kesküla’s Alt-Lauri organic farm and store in the Rõuge Rural Municipality. They also met with Hans Sissas, the creator of the Estonian Mother statue, and the Young Eagles and Home Daughters of Mõniste Rural Municipality.

The Head of State ended his tour of Võru County at Antsla Inno, which is a producer of upholstered furniture. The company exports most of its production and provides jobs for 210 people.

At a meeting with the company’s owner and managing director, the discussions centred on the general economic situation, as well as the government’s support for an entrepreneurial environment, for instance through Enterprise Estonia.

“Today, it would be sensible if we considered the creation of new jobs to be just as important as the preservation of existing ones,” President Ilves said.


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