President of Estonia: we are successful largely thanks to Sweden

[Karl]

President of Estonia: we are successful largely thanks to Sweden

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who is on a state visit to Sweden, stressed at a joint press conference with Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt that Estonia is successful largely thanks to Sweden.

“The foundation for our good life comes from this very long-term and very strong reciprocal connection that dates back to nearly a thousand years,” said Ilves. “Sweden is the biggest foreign investor in Estonia, Sweden is the biggest export market for Estonia. When Sweden does well, Estonia does well. That keeps our relations so strong.”

Reinfeldt added that 1,500 Swedish companies operate in Estonia and nearly 10,000 Estonians live in Sweden which also creates closer relations.

Estonian President is at the state visit in Sweden till Thursday.

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt said this week that it was good for the Baltic states to have so much Swedish capital in their financial system during the crisis since it helped them to recover from the recession.

According to Bildt, the way how governments in this region have handled the crisis is impressive and deserves credit. "Latvia was hit hardest, while Estonia's position was stronger thanks to the state of its finances and macroeconomic policies."

Bildt expressed hope that a new wave of investments was arriving from Sweden into Estonia. "Estonia plays a key part in terms of production and innovation. Not many Swedes know it, but Ericsson, the best-known Swedish company, produces twice as much in Estonia than in Sweden."

...

I slightly disagree with our president. Estonian success is explained by the extremely successful reforms in the 1990's, without those, I doubt that anyone would have invested into an unstable country.

[Peerkons]

I thought this GREAT success is just because you are hard working and with nordic mentality.

[Karl]

I thought this GREAT success is just because you are hard working and with nordic mentality.

Exactly!

If the Estonians wouldn't have built up their new independent country in the 90's, those investments would have gone elsewhere.

I'm not even going to start talking about Latvia and I advise you to stop trolling the Eesti section.

[Peerkons]

President of Estonia: we are successful largely thanks to Sweden

[Heretik]

I thought this GREAT success is just because you are hard working and with nordic mentality.

[Karl]

President of Estonia: we are successful largely thanks to Sweden

and why is Latvia successful? Wait, I forgot that Latvia isn't successful.

Oh I also remembered this, according to the Human Development Index, Estonia is a developed country, while Latvia is a developing country.

As I said, stop trolling the Eesti section with your inferiority complexes, or I will start trolling you back(which I have already done).

[EWtt]

I thought this GREAT success is just because you are hard working and with nordic mentality.

Can't you see that in a way Ilves is talking about Nordic mentality when he says "very strong reciprocal connection dating back thousands of years" ?

Ilves has also said other interesting things, like:

"Brits,Scandinavians, Finns, Estonians consider themselves rational, logical, unencumbered by emotional arguments; we are businesslike, stubborn and hard-working. Our southern neighbors see us as too dry and serious, workaholics, lacking passion and joie de vivre. "

"Unfortunately most if not all people outside Estonia talk about something called "The Baltics". ... What these countries do not share is a common identity. "

"Already now the UK and Nordic countries are the biggest players in the Estonian economy, accounting for the overwhelming majority of investments in the country, as well as our own export destination. This makes perfect sense - we understand each other, we can do business."

etc.