Remarks by Mr. Jüri Luik at the meeting of Defence and Foreign Ministers of the Western European Union

Mr. Jüri Luik, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia
9 May 1994, Luxembourg


Esteemed Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is truly a pleasure to take part in today's historic meeting called to inaugurate the enhanced position of nine states from Consultation Partner to Association Partner status in the WEU. Estonia warmly welcomes this step as a clear political signal that these nine states are regarded as having the best chance of eventual membership in the European Union.

At the same time, the new enhanced status being celebrated here today attests to the common values that we, the nine new Association Partners, share with the WEU member states. It is these shared values that constitute a common point of departure for European integration on all levels and in all phases of life, including defence policy. Estonia takes great pride in being part of a group dedicated not to old ideas, such as the reassertion of empire, but rather to the goals of building a stable Europe based on consensus and democracy.

As Association Partners, we will seek to take an active role in helping construct the new structures of European security. We would hope to participate as fully as possible in discussions held in the WEU, and through these discussions, to integrate our policies with the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy.

We regard the WEU's decision to extend Association Partner status simultaneously to the "Group of Nine" seated here today as showing great foresight. This move is consistent with the WEU's earlier decision to invite these nine states to be Consultation Forum members at the same time in the Summer of 1992.

Since that time, the international political arena has changed significantly. For instance, all of us new Association Partners have joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program. In the meantime, other states have begun speaking of condominium arrangements for assuring the security of Europe, as Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev did last Saturday when he rejected PFP, saying that it did not suit Russia. In bidding for a special relationship with NATO, which Mr. Kozyrev has referred to as "a real partnership," the Russian Federation has taken upon itself to dictate the content of the PFP program for the other, more ordinary partners. This claim to special status threatens to stymie the ability of other states to realize their full potential under PFP. Given this sort of argumentation coming from Moscow, we are all the more gratified by the WEU's decision to extend nine states enhanced status. This move demonstrates the WEU's singular understanding that we cannot and should not draw borders in today's Europe, especially not borders that could once again become curtains wrought of iron.

I would turn now to an issue that is not only of vital importance to us but which also has become a touchstone of European security, namely troop withdrawals from Estonia. As you are all aware, our negotiations with the Russia Federation have come to a virtual standstill. During the more than two years that we have been negotiating with Russia, Estonia has put forth constructive proposal after proposal, which have been regularly and systematically rejected by the Russian side. Our agreement on troop withdrawals has been ready for signing since the beginning of March, but Russia continues to delay, re-opening discussion of questions that were resolved long ago.

Furthermore, in violation of obligations it has incurred in various international fora to pull the troops out in an "early, orderly and unconditional" fashion, Russia continues to link withdrawal to other issues, primarily to so-called social guarantees for retired and demobilized military officers. While we have rejected this linkage from the start, we understand that Russia needs an agreement on these reserve officers, and for this reason have continued negotiating in good faith. Still, despite our best efforts, Russia continues to insist on special privileges for these officers, privileges above and beyond those rights our own citizens enjoy.

As you have surely heard, during our 19th round of negotiations, which ended last Friday near Tallinn, the Russian side failed to name a date for the next round of talks. Instead, the Russian negotiating team said a subsequent round would not be held until Estonia tables sufficiently constructive proposals as to justify holding a round. In effect, this means that Russia has suspended talks until Estonia gives in to its demands, which include, among other things, that Estonia change its internal legislation. Not only does this stance suggest that Russia has an interesting view of what compromise and negotiation should entail, it also suggests a rather bizarre concept of sovereignty.

And as if this ultimatum-style approach were not enough, last Friday, the same day as our negotiations ended, Russian Defence Minister Pavel Grachev told reporters in Moscow that if Estonia does not meet all of Russia's demands, Russia may not withdraw the troops at all, but rather may boost the military presence in my country. The fact that Grachev, representing one UN member state, threatened to invade another UN member state, at the very same time as withdrawal talks were going on, is unacceptable if not ludicrous. We are certain that the international community will not remain silent, but will give its clear, unmistakable and public appraisal of this open intimidation.

I would stress here that Estonia attaches particular importance to participation in the political and security consultation mechanisms foreseen for the Association Members of the WEU. We are eager, for instance, to establish a liaison arrangement with the Planning Cell and to become involved in WEU-led humanitarian and rescue tasks as well as tasks of combat forces in crisis management.

Another area of special interest to us is peacekeeping. As you know, along with our Latvian and Lithuanian colleagues, we have established a joint Baltic Peacekeeping Battalion. We hope to offer our joint battalion to the WEU for peacekeeping operations, and look forward to being involved in the command structures and decision-making processes that will accompany these future operations.

I would conclude my remarks by once again drawing your attention to the historic nature of our meeting here in Luxembourg today. Today's WEU meeting holds the same importance for us as did the NATO summit last January. Both meetings--January in Brussels and May in Luxembourg--will be seen by historians as marking the ascent to an entirely new plateau in European security. Through these meetings, Estonia has taken a small step toward full integration in European security structures. But for all of us gathered here, today's meeting represents a giant leap toward creating a new European Defence Identity.


Thank you.