March 13, 1995

Remarks by Vice President of the
United States
Al Gore
Town Hall Square
Tallinn, Estonia

Thank you. Thank you very much. And Mr. President, it is an honor to stand today with you, and with the free people of a free and sovreign Estonia. I want to acknowledge the presence also of Prime Minister Andres Tarand and three guests, the Prime Minister of Latvia, Maris Gailis, and the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Adolfas Slezevicius, the distinguished members of Parliament, and the Mayor of Tallinn, Jaak Tamm. It gives me a wonderful feeling to stand in this beautiful square in front of a town hall that was built almost a century before Christopher Columbus sailed, and to see the beautiful enthusiasm of this vital democracy, and to share in the spirit of this occasion.

President Meri, I want to thank you for your gracious words of hospitality, and I want to thank you, citizens of Tallinn, for your warm welcome on this chilly day. I see the statue of Vana Toomas watching over us now, as he has watched over and protected this beautiful city and the people of Tallinn for centuries. He has seen great deal in recent years, and so have we all. Let us remember, 50 years ago this spring, a terrible war was coming to an end. Yet though one great tyranny was driven back, liberation was incomplete. The peoples of the Baltic Republics faced decades of occupation, oppression, uncertainty and fear. Hundreds of thousands of Baltic citizens, including your President, were exiled to wastelands far from home. Many never returned. Let us remember them, and let us honor the memory of the fallen. Yet through the dark years, the people of Estonia, and the people of Latvia and the people of Lithuania, never gave up. You never forgot your birthrights of independent statehood. You safeguarded the valus of democracy and liberty that made your nations an integral part of the Nordic Region of Europe, of the West. You kept faith ... (applause) I hear some gloves clapping. You kept faith, and America kept faith with you. In all the years of occupation, America kept your flags flying. I appreciate the gentelman flying my flag here in the front of the crowd, and he told me as I shook hands that he's a member of the same church that I belong to, and I appreciate that.

America's non-recognition of Baltic occupation was a proud policy rooted in hope, principle and determination. Now, independence has returned, the occupation forces are gone. You made it happen. I'm proud of the help that we gave.

Let us all, the free peoples of Estonia and the other Baltic republics, of Central Europe, of the United States of America, let us all now dedicate ourselves to fulfilling the promise of liberation so cruelly cut short 50 years ago. America will stand with you.

President Clinton is leading the way toward the integration of Europe's new democracies into a growing transatlantic community of secure, prosperous and peaceful nations. This will be a community without spheres of influence or arbitrary lines, a community rooted in the values for which you struggled so hard and so successfully.

Membership in this growing democratic and free market community, and all its institutions, should be open to the states that uphold its values. That incluces the Estonia and its democratic neighbours. No outside power should ever again cast a veto over your future. You must not be consigned to a gray zone of fear and uncertainty. As President Clinton said, speaking to Central European leaders earlier this year, we will never condone any state in Europe threatening the sovreignity of its neighbours again.

Estonia and the other newly sovreign nations of Central Europe are returning to the great democratic family. The road back is not easy: economic reform brings results, but not without strains of adjustment. Yet Estonia's economic success and openness so far, your remarkable growth and high rates of investment, prove that with civic courage and good policies, the path of economic reform can be traveled successfully.

Today I urge you to stay on this path, moving ever forward. We have seen that in some places, stressful transitions can bring on political extremism. Yet Estonia's elections, free and fair, prove that the roots of your democracy have sunk deep and strong into this land. History teaches that national independence can in some places stimulate national chauvinism. Yet Estonia's fair implementation of its citizenship law and political participation of Estonian citizens of Russian ethnic origin show that Estonia is becoming a state rooted in law, tolerance and based on modern civic values. I am confident you will continue to practice the politics of inclusion, in order to build a future of harmony for your children. In this demonstration of tolerance, Estonia is a model for the rest of the world.

And Estonia is free, Estonia is success, Estonia has a magnificent future as a nation among the nations. I feel your pride. I share in the joy you have expressed as you have built this new independence. At a time when we stand in the midst of tumultuous change, we can see a new world begin to born. By your example, through your achievements gained and achievements yet to come, Estonia can help to light the way for other nations and for the world. That is why I am honored to be here with you. That is why the United States of America will stand with you in the years ahead, as we have stood with you in the past. Long live a free Estonia.