Baltic Presidents meet in Riga to support common efforts in the movement towards the EU and NATO [15 Jan 2002]

 

The meeting of the Presidents of the three Baltic countries took place in Riga Castle on 15 January 2002. During the meetings the Presidents confirmed support to continuing common efforts in the movements towards the EU and NATO. In the modern world success can be achieved as a result of co-operation rather than individual strivings of a country or confrontation, Vaira Vike-Freiberga said. She also pointed out the role of the President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel in supporting the need of admitting the Baltic States to NATO. According to Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the meeting of the three Presidents is a proof of solidarity among the three Baltic States and their willingness to continue to co-operate in the future.

The President of Lithuania confirmed in the conversation that he had wanted to exchange opinions on recent developments concerning NATO integration in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia before his meeting with the US President George W. Bush and to define a common opinion of all Baltic Presidents concerning NATO enlargement and integration of the Baltic States in the transatlantic security space.

The President of Estonia Arnold Ruutel stressed that all Baltic States have similar interior and foreign policy aims therefore co-operation among the three countries is particularly important.

The Presidents agreed that the next trilateral meeting in Vilnius in spring would concentrate on the economic development of the Baltic region as well as development of transit roads among the countries and the Common Energetic Ring.

Valdas Adamkus invited Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Arnold Ruutel to the celebration of the 750^th anniversary of Klaipeda in August.

President's Press Service http://www.president.lv