TALLINN - Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has used his Independence Day message to defend the nation's open liberal market economy.
"We've done a lot of work together, and nothing will undermine the wish of the Estonian people to continue on the chosen path of democratic liberal market economy," Ansip said in a message issued under the name of his political party, the Reform Party.
The prime minister thanked everyone who had made a contribution to Estonia's breaking free from half a century of occupation in 1991.
Ansip invited Estonians to remember also those who didn't live long enough to see the collapse of alien rule over Estonia and for who freedom remained a dream.
He thanked the partner countries that quickly restored diplomatic relations with Estonia and sent their first post-war ambassadors to Tallinn.
Ansip said Estonia had managed to accomplish more in the course of the 15 years than many had dared to even dream of.
"Today we're better off than we were 15 years ago, but that is no enough," Ansip said. "It's not the Estonian way to be satisfied with mediocrity," he said.
He said he hoped Estonia would rank among the richest nations in the EU in a further 15 years.
"That won't be easy, but we will not be satisfied with less," he said.
