The presidents agreed that terrorism was an offense against the freedom and rights of all civilized nations, theirs included. The five expressed their solidarity with the United States and affirmed the determination of their countries to lend support for the new battle against terrorism.
"We are unanimous that these acts were a declaration of war against all states sharing the principles of democracy, freedom of expression and human rights. We stand in complete solidarity with the democratic world in our determination to fight terrorism," said Estonian President Lennart Meri.
His Finnish counterpart Tarja Halonen, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Lithuania's Valdas Adamkus and President of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski arrived in Tallinn at Meri's invitation, who is in the final weeks of office before handing over power in October.
Answering one journalist's question as to how the three small Baltic republics and their tiny economies could help support the most powerful nation in the world, Meri said that fighting terrorism is not about "chasing bandits on the streets with a knife in your hand."
"It's about preventing the illegal weapons trade and drug trafficking. And we are doing our best fulfilling these tasks in the region," said Meri.
Halonen added that first of all moral and political support can be provided.
All five president agreed that the tragic events in the U.S.A. would not harm NATO or European Union enlargement at any level.
Halonen and Kwasniewski were perhaps the most important guests on this occasion, as Poland has already become a member of NATO, while Finland got into the EU in 1995.
"We all agree that there is a need for speedy progress in the EU accession negotiations, and I am grateful to President Tarja Halonen and Finland for their strong support. The aim must be to reach the goal set forth in the conclusions of the Nice and Gothenburg European councils that the first candidate countries participate as full EU members in the elections to the 2004 European Parliament," said Meri.
Poland has expressed strong support for the accession of the Baltic states to both NATO and the European Union, but Finland's opinion of NATO expansion to the Baltics was only recently translated into unequivocal support.
The five presidents openly expressed their preference for teamwork in the Baltic region. When the reporter of a Finnish newspaper asked "the three Baltic presidents" to comment, Kwasniewski politely interjected to claim that he too is a Baltic president.
Apart from global security, EU enlargement and NATO expansion, issues mulled over at the summit included bilateral relations, which Meri described as "excellent."
The Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian presidents last met in Riga in December 2000, when they called for an end to competition between them and for closer cooperation.
"We discussed the need to further expand the transportation and energy networks that connect our nations. We all share a common interest in the further development and improvement of the Via Baltica as a road linking Central and Northern Europe," said Meri.
Progress made in connecting the electricity networks of Lithuania and Poland also came under consideration, as well as the establishment of a gas pipeline between Poland and Norway.
Meri said he hoped those would be the first steps in creating a "Baltic energy ring," something that has been on the table for discussion since 1992. The energy ring would connect all the countries that encircle the Baltic Sea and secure long-term energy supply.
Finally, Meri's colleagues wished him well as he leaves the post of the president next month. "Thank you, Lennart, for everything," said Kwasniewski.
"I hope he will continue his service to Estonia, the region, Europe and the global community," said Adamkus.
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