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Halonen: Finland Lost a Good Friend

Finland's President Tarja Halonen says the passing away of former Estonian President Lennart Meri meant a close and warm friend had been lost.

She described Meri as a great statesman who had played a pivotal role in reshaping the post cold-war world order.

Meri was in a key position in regaining Estonia's independence and the creation of its democracy and respected international role, the President added. His loss to the Estonian people, she added, was immense.

Halonen said she had lost a close colleague, whom she had learnt to respect as an experienced diplomat, statesman and a guiding force in Estonia.

The President believed Meri's work had strengthened the cultural and linguistic bonds between the Finno-Ugric peoples.

Halonen expressed her deepest condolences to the family of Lennart Meri and to the Estonian people.

Vanhanen: Meri a Unifying Figure

Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said Meri gave a face to Estonia's freedom as its first President after regaining independence.

Currently on a visit to India, Vanhanen added that Lennart Meri belonged to those who had re-created an independent Estonia and that through him the country had gained a place in the international community.

Vanhanen described him as a warm and easily approachable person who had demonstrated both an interest in Finland and Finnish culture.

The Prime Minister noted Lennart Meri also had created closer ties between Finland and Estonia in an exceptional manner, thus giving birth to a continuing atmosphere of mutual trust.

Tuomioja Remembers Estonia's Moment of Fortune

Paying his respects, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said the Estonian people had lost a great leader and Finland a great friend.

He recalled in his statement Lennart Meri's childhood years in Berlin, Paris and Tallinn noting that he had been able to sample the life of an EU citizen long before his country joined the union.

Tuomioja paid tribute to Meri's role in the regaining of Estonian independence in 1991. Meri was then in his country's Foreign ministry and led moves from Helsinki to gain recognition for Estonia.

I know this probably isn't very interesting to a lot of people, but it meant a lot to Estonia to become independent from Russia.

I have a friend over there who experienced what it was like to live under Russian rule. He was over in Britain and went mad because he saw someone wearing a red trackie top with CCCP on it and a hammer and sickle (the Russian emblem). He said that for him it was the equivalent of someone walking round with a swastika on.

I didn't really understand at the time but having visited Estonia since, it was really tough for them. Independence was a huge thing to happen to the country, and I can see why this man will be mourned, it sounds as if he made a massive contribution.