Estonian president hopes for Putin’s visit to her country next year
She said that direct contacts between the leaders of Russia and Estonia were necessary
TALLINN, December 29. /TASS/. Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid hopes her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would attend the next year’s World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples in the Estonian city of Tartu, she told the ETV+ channel.
"I sincerely hope that Putin and other heads of states where Finno-Ugric peoples live, would visit Tartu," the president said. "We know that only two Finno-Ugric peoples have their own states, which are Hungary, Finland and Estonia, but there are many more other [Finno-Ugric] peoples. That’s why it would be wise if all presidents honor this big holiday, the World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, with their presence."
She said that direct contacts between the leaders of Russia and Estonia were necessary.
"After the meeting [in Moscow in April] we had discussions to speak about important things, such as railways and rail infrastructure," Kaljulaid went on. "I’m convinced that this exchange of opinions on technical issues, and decision-making in that regard are fairly possible even in terms of the current complicated political situation. There are matters on which we have polar opinions, and those differences cannot be reconciled quickly. Work on those issues may take decades, but it does not mean that this work should not be done at all."
Earlier, Kaljulaid sent official invitations to the congress to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian President Janos Ader and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, to take place in Estonia’s Tartu on June 17-20, 2020. She said the forum would provide an opportunity for discussions on preserving the cultural heritage of Finno-Ugric peoples in the rapidly changing world.
On April 18, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid arrived in Moscow, where she participated in the opening ceremony of the reconstructed Estonian Embassy in Russia. After the ceremony, President met with Vladimir Putin, who said that the lack of meaningful contacts between Russian and Estonian officials was not normal. She invited Putin to visit the Baltic republic in the coming year.