Mr. President, I am deeply honored to be here today to
present to Your Excellency the credentials by which the
President of the United States has accredited me as the
Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Estonia.
I hope you will understand if I abbreviate the remarks I
had planned to make today to focus on an event of much greater
importance than my credentials. At 15:46 today, Estonian time,
in Tallinn, in Washington, and in capitals all over the world,
nations will play their national anthems to commemorate the
moment on September 11 when the first aircraft struck the
World Trade Center in New York. Citizens from eighty-five
nations perished on that day. They were murdered not because
of something they did, but for what their countries believed in.
It was suggested by some that the United States and the
world “forget” that day. President Bush, however, believes this
is “a day the world will always remember.” That day marked an
attack not on the U.S. alone, but on all countries that value
freedom and tolerance. President Bush has called upon such
countries to observe this attack against civilization with a
playing of national anthems. Nothing will better symbolize our
nations’ friendship and our joint steadfastness in the face of
terrorism than the playing of the Estonian national anthem at the
conclusion of this ceremony.
Of course, this is not the first time, nor is it the last when
our countries will work together. Mr. President, in a brief span
of ten years, your country has become a key part of a new,
democratic and integrated Europe. It is my mission to assist
Estonia as it integrates into European and Euro-Atlantic
institutions. President Bush in his address at Warsaw University
this past June spoke of a Europe “whole and free”. “All of
Europe’s new democracies,” he continued, “from the Baltic to
the Black Sea and all that lie between, should have the same
chance for security and freedom – and the same chance to join
the institutions of Europe – as Europe’s old democracies”. It
goes without saying Estonia is part of this vision.
Mr. President, your country’s decision to undertake
difficult and sometimes painful reform has made this nation a
model for other states reborn out of the ashes of the Soviet
Empire. We applaud the courage of the Estonian people in what
they have achieved so far in establishing democracy, a free
economy, and national reconciliation. The most recent example
of the latter was the passage of the amendments to the Elections
Law to broaden democratic participation. The courage to make
difficult decisions has already brought benefits to the Estonian
people and will bring more in the future. And it is because of the
future, Mr. President, that I am so pleased to be in Estonia today. I
fully expect during my stay here to see a nation permanently secured in
its Western orientation, that will grow in prosperity and provide all who
live here with a free and democratic home.
Mr. President, it has been my pleasure to be here to
present my credentials. I regret that my wife Leslie could not be
here today, but she will be joining me again in January. We look
forward to traveling throughout your country to get to know it
and its people.
Härra President
Tänan tähelepanu eest!
