Remarks by President Mary McAleese at a Reception for the Estonian Community in Ireland
Remarks by President Mary McAleese at a Reception for the Estonian Community in Ireland Hosted by HE Mr Andre Pung 13 September
Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Good Afternoon,
Tere päevast!
I am glad I have this opportunity to meet with you here at the Estonian Embassy in the company of Ambassador and Mrs. Pung. It is my first visit to the Embassy and, already, I have experienced the warmth of a traditional Estonian welcome which I’m happy to have received before - on my visit to Tallinn in 2001. I thank Ambassador Pung and all the team at the Embassy for bringing together members of the Estonian community in Ireland to meet with us here.
We know that Ambassador and Mrs Pung are recent arrivals to Ireland and I hope that they have received a warm Irish welcome. I would like to wish them every success and happiness in their time here in Ireland.
Ambassador, like you and your compatriots, I was deeply saddened by the death of your distinguished President, Lennart Meri. I certainly treasure the memory of meeting him during my wonderful visit to Estonia in May 2001. I remember with great fondness the warm welcome that he and his wife Helle extended to Martin and me and I recall his deep interest in Irish history and culture. Our two countries sit well together as both ancient nations and modern European democracies. On my visit I was struck too by the many parallels between our difficult histories but above all I was impressed by the determination, the vision you share with us to build a brighter future for your people.
I am proud to say that Ireland never recognised the annexation of Estonia by the Soviet Union in 1940. When, fifty-one years later you regained your sovereignty and independence, we celebrated a great day for freedom in Europe and wished you well. Indeed, we were a co-sponsor of your application to claim your rightful place in the United Nations. One of the proudest days in my time as President of Ireland was when, on 1 May 2004, I, together with the Taoiseach, hosted the Day of Welcomes as you joined with nine others in taking your place at the heart of the European Union. I am delighted to see that Estonia has continued to make great strides in the short period since and relations between our two countries have blossomed greatly since.
As I experienced during my visit, Estonia is a country with a rich cultural heritage and a huge appreciation of cultural values. Like us, you cherish your music and culture – a fact that I believe sustained both our countries in our sense of community and identity during more troubled times. It is good to see that musical contacts between us are flourishing. Altan, one of Ireland’s best traditional music groups and could be said to act as musical ambassadors for Ireland, entertained an Estonian audience at this year’s Viljandi Folk Music Festival. We have little doubt that we will see even stronger ties forged by the young musicians, dancers, writers and artists of our two countries in the years ahead.
Direct flights from Dublin to Tallinn are very important to sustaining and growing the relationship between us allowing more and more of our peoples to get to know each other and I am glad that these flights will recommence on 29 October. I am sure that it makes it much easier for many of the people in this room to spend time with your families at home and for them to come and visit you here in Ireland. It is also important to the small Irish community in Estonia and to the many business people and tourists who travel between our two countries. The experience of Irish business in Estonia has been a very positive one. I saw at first hand that Irish business people are involved in a wide range of activities in your fast growing economy. Trade and investment links are also thriving in both directions.
I was delighted to read that your economic growth continues to increase rapidly and many new jobs and opportunities are being created in your country. Estonia has a very bright future ahead.
Happily for us, your membership of the European Union has meant that more Estonians than ever have made the move to Ireland. I hope you have experienced the same warm welcome that I received in visiting your country a few years ago. Your presence here gives us an important, a valuable opportunity to build real and lasting friendships between our peoples, to get to know each other better, to get to know each other’s culture, heritage, literature, language, music, poetry, dance and the many other facets that make us what we are. We look forward to a growing Irish-Estonian community here in Dublin and similarly in Tallinn for many generations. We believe also that our partnership will continue to grow in Europe as Member States with common interests and values in many areas.
I know that this an interesting time in Estonia with your Presidential election just ten days away. Ambassador Pung, may I say that I look forward very much to welcoming the successful candidate to Ireland. I hope to extend to him a welcome as generous and warm as I received in Estonia five years ago.
On that great day in Dublin when Estonia joined the European family Seamus Heaney spoke of newcomers experiencing a sense of “homecoming”. I hope that all of you share that feeling of welcome in your time here.
It has been a great pleasure to meet with you all and I wish you all every happiness and success here in Ireland.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.
Thank you