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President Arnold Rüütel delivered a lecture at the Turku University

21.10.2021 | 06:13

On the second day of his state visit to Finland President Arnold Rüütel held a lecture "The Choices of Estonia" at the Turku University, focusing on the current status and future prospects of life environment in Estonia. As the President said, everything around us convincingly demonstrates the intertwining and mutual impact of three aspects of human environment – the natural environment, the historical and the cultural environment. "Human environment cannot be reduced nature. Sooner or later, nature will dictate our choices, but the nature of those choices will be decided in the historical and political dimension. The question is to what extent we are able to read the sign system of human environment and to see beyond the simple cause-effect system shaping human environment," President Rüütel emphasised.

Speaking of the natural environment, the President pointed out that the restructuring of the economy after the restoration of Estonia’s independence has considerably reduced the extent of pollution sources and polluting substances in Estonia. Also in the field of reducing air pollution, Estonia has seen some improvement. "During the last ten years of our independence, we in Estonia have come closer to balance in our relations to nature," the President confirmed.

As the President said, also Estonia’s national and political identity are closely connected to nature environment. As we exist on the border between to civilisations, the Eastern and the Western outlook, this border phenomenon also characterises the relations between Estonia and Finland. "Finland has been Estonia’s gate to Scandinavia," President Rüütel said. As the President said, in today’s globalising world, Estonia is a good example of the possibility of maintaining a nation’s specific features and cultural identity.

On the trip from Helsinki to Turku there was a discussion on the subject "Preserving the Estonian Seas", where the condition of the Baltic Sea, as well as the fish resources and the possible effects of the greenhouse effect were discussed.

The President of the Republic will visit the Turku Cathedral and have a look at the Stick-Tech biotechnology plant.

In the afternoon, President Rüütel will have a meeting with the municipal leaders of Turku, and later in the afternoon with Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, November 21, 2001
Arnold Rüütel Press release
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