OSCE for Work on Democratic Reforms

United States Mission to the OSCE
STATEMENT ON ESTONIA
Delivered by Charge d'Affaires Douglas A. Davidson to the Permanent Council, Vienna
December 13, 2001

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It gives us great pleasure to welcome Ambassador Hertrampf back to the Permanent Council.

We have very carefully followed the work of the OSCE Mission in Tallinn under your leadership and we believe it has been exemplary in its focus, its accomplishments and in its professionalism. Ambassador Hertrampf, your working relationship with the Government of Estonia has been a model for which you and your hosts deserve our deep respect and sincere gratitude.

But what has been of particular interest to us in recent months has been your close cooperation with the Estonian Government in the process of changing Estonia's electoral legislation so that it meets international standards. As with your other work on legislation, we commend you for having succeeded in helping Estonia to put in place a basic legal framework for guaranteeing internationally recognized rights. We commend the Estonian authorities for taking these steps and we welcome their efforts to implement them fully.

Building an integrated society in Estonia, or in any country for that matter, is not something that occurs overnight. It must start with the commitment to the principle of equal rights for all. But it also requires perseverance in creating the laws and institutions needed to guarantee those rights. In my own country, it has taken us decades to draw near to this goal and we still have more to do.

Nevertheless, we are confident that the Estonian Government has put into place the institutions and the instruments necessary to ensure full social integration. It has also shown the political will to ensure fair treatment of all persons residing in Estonia.

Let me also note that the departure of the OSCE mission from Tallinn does not mean that the international community will simply forget about Estonia.

Estonia will, of course, remain an active participating state in this organization and our various institutions, including the High Commissioner on National Minorities, will certainly continue to show an interest in developments there.

My own country, too, through our Embassy in Tallinn and through the instruments we have developed such as our annual human rights report -- will also continue to be interested in developments in Estonia, just as we are interested in developments throughout the OSCE region and around the world.

Still, as I have said, it is our view that the laws and legal structures, together with the international organizations charged with monitoring such processes, are now in place in Estonia to ensure that minorities are, and will increasingly be, treated according to internationally accepted norms.

In light of the above, we fully agree with your assessment that the OSCE mission in Estonia has fulfilled its mandate.

Thus, the continuing presence of an OSCE Mission there is no longer necessary and we therefore believe that it is fully appropriate now to close this Mission. Let me express our full appreciation to you, Ambassador Hertrampf, to your staff, and especially to the Government of Estonia for a job well done.

Finally, permit me also to wish you well and every success in your very challenging next assignment. We are sure that you will handle it with the same skill and success that you have shown as Head of the OSCE Mission in Tallinn. Thank you again for your hard work. We wish you all the best in your future work in the diplomatic service.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)