Meri asks expats to lobby for Estonia

Jul 13, 2000

Membership in both NATO and EU presumes agreement of the member countries' parliaments, President Meri said opening the world Estonian days in Toronto, Canada.

"May we draw an example from the lobby work of Canadian and U.S. citizens of Polish descent, which significantly contributed towards Poland's admission to NATO," Meri said.

He said that this means close cooperation with foreign embassies, but it is in expatriate Estonians' power to carry out ,with their MPs, the work that a foreign country's embassy cannot and must not do.

"Tell your neighbors, friends and acquaintances about Estonia, encourage businessmen from Canada and other countries those present here are residents of to come and to invest into Estonia," Meri said. "Let us follow the example of Israel and the way Jewish minorities throughout the world support their country."

He added that once the world changes, the organizations by which Estonian interests can be defended in a changing world must also flexibly change.

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