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President Ilves to the German Head of State: today's Europe needs "more Germany"
08.07.2013
"I am pleased to welcome President Gauck, the man who stood for democratic values even before the fall of the Iron Curtain and the reunification of Germany and who still does today," said the Estonian Head of State, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, in welcoming the President of Germany, Joachim Gauck, and his partner Daniela Schadt, to his home at the Ärma farm as they begin their two-day state visit of Estonia tomorrow. "President Gauck is a politician who understands the problems faced by our part of the country and values the importance of a free Europe."
According to the Estonian Head of State, Germany is one of the pioneers in today's Europe and without its leading role it would be hard to imagine the stabilising and resolving of Europe's challenges and the eurozone economy.
"Today's Europe needs "more Germany" – we need responsible management and compliance with the rules that we all adopted, and Germany has consistently stood for that. Only if we follow this line steadily can the European Union recover, both in an economic and financial sense, and the competitiveness of our union can be enhanced," admitted President Ilves.
Estonia and Germany are close partners in Europe, which is natural, as culturally our close relations extend back centuries, confirmed the Estonian Head of State.
"Today, we both stand for the same values: responsible, open and balanced economy, more and more integrated Europe and basic European values, a state based on the rule of law and the protection of human rights," he said.
During the state visit of the German Head of State and his partner Daniela Schadt, President Gauck, accompanied by a reputable business delegation, will have discussions with President Ilves, meet with the Chairman of the Riigikogu, Ene Ergma, and the Prime Minister, Andrus Ansip, as well as visit Tallinn Cathedral and the Storz Video Endoscopy Estonia OÜ company. Tomorrow evening, the presidents of Estonia and Germany will have a discussion on the topic "What will we remember in the future?" at the Museum of Occupations.
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