NATO commander tells Estonia to spend more

  • 2000-04-20
TALLINN - The supreme allied commander of NATO, Gen. Wesley Clark, arrived in Estonia for a quick but decorated two-day visit on April 14.

He was welcomed at Tallinn airport by U.S. Ambassador Melissa Wells and Estonian Ambassador to NATO Sulev Kannike, among other military representatives, who gathered for a special reception ceremony.

The stay culminated in President Lennart Meri's conferral of a Class One Order of the Eagle on the commander.

At a meeting with Prime Minister Mart Laar, Clark made special mention of Estonia's success in international cooperation. Still, he pointed out the need for speeding up the country's defense-related legislation to come to equal footing with Western requirements.

Clark also emphasized that Estonia needs to raise its defense spending to 2 percent of the gross domestic product in order to prove its readiness as an applicant for NATO membership. Laar assured him the government's goal for accession is 2002.

Furthermore, Clark declared that the enlargement of NATO is good for all Europe, including Russia. He explained that the alliance's expansion will make it possible to bring to the East the security and stability that have reigned in western Europe for half a century.

Clark said the security of the Baltic Sea region's countries, among them Estonia, is an important consideration and NATO's Partnership for Peace program was launched to safeguard it.

During his stay, Clark also met with Defense Minister Juri Luik, acting defense forces commander Col. Mart Tiru, and several other top defense officials.

Before taking off from the capital city, the NATO SACEUR delivered a public lecture at the Baltic Defense College in Tartu on April 15.

Compiled by Jaclyn M. Sindrich from Baltic News Service wire reports.