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President Ilves to President Obama: ‘Our lessons and our success give us a say.’

28.05.2011

Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia, who spoke at the summit of presidents of Central European countries and Barack Obama, President of the United States, in Warsaw last night, later stressed that as a democratic Europe continues to need the United States, so need the United States a democratic Europe, but only if the Europe is strong and brave.

‘Europe and the Unites States can now join their skills and will to help North-African and Middle-Eastern people who have stood up to the undemocratic regimes in their countries,’ said President Ilves. ‘This is a modern trans-Atlantic cooperation suitable to the 21st century, but only if a strong and brave Europe is one of the leaders.’

The head of state of Estonia noted that several European states who freed themselves from foreign oppression 20 years ago have an experience how to become a democratic market economy that abides by the rule of law.

‘Our lessons and our success give us a say,’ said President Ilves.

‘If this experience – our help – is needed, providing this help is our moral responsibility,’ said President Ilves. ‘It is in the interests of both the democratic states of Europe and the United States of America that there are as much strong democratic economies and internationally responsible regions in the world as possible. So, we can see that besides the moral responsibility, there is a practical need to support North-African and Middle-Eastern people who are demanding changes.’

But the prerequisite for all this has been the will of those people and their new leaders who have come or are coming to power to build up a democratic society and their readiness to make efforts to achieve that and if necessary, to make decisions that are unpopular at first but later turn out to be exactly right, said President Ilves.

‘This is the presumption of international support that is lacking, or at least scarce, even in some European states, who are talking about their commitment to European values but in real life feel indifferent about these or what is even worse, ignore these,’ said the head of state of Estonia.

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