President Karis at the Lennart Meri Conference: the strength of small countries lies in cooperation and rapid action

President Alar Karis, in a speech at the Lennart Meri Conference today, said that small countries have more influence in international politics than is often thought, but that using this influence requires courage, cooperation and being prepared to act quickly.

President Karis stressed the importance of cooperation between small countries, citing the Nordic-Baltic (NB8) cooperation format as an example. "You won't find any large countries here, yet this community has managed to create one of the happiest, most stable and peaceful regions in the world," he said.

President Karis noted that although the influence of big countries has increased, this does not mean that small countries are pulling back. "Smaller countries see the world more broadly, precisely because there is no way they can overlook the big countries," President Karis quoted Estonian philosopher Uku Masing. According to the Estonian Head of State, this gives small countries the opportunity to notice changes faster and to draw attention to possible dangers.

President Karis highlighted the three main strengths of small countries: intelligence, innovation and resilience. He pointed out that small countries have been quicker to respond, both in increasing defence spending and in supporting Ukraine at the start of Russian aggression. "Small countries were among the first to start providing political and practical support to Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. In this context, speed is a value in itself," said President Karis.

Speaking of innovation, President Karis highlighted the development of the Estonian Tiger Leap and the digital state, which have served as models for many countries around the world and will continue with the new AI Leap project, which aims to bring the possibilities of the artificial intelligence into the Estonian education system.

The President concluded his speech by calling for the defence of a world order based on the UN Charter and international law. "If we sincerely want an international system where size is not the most important thing, we must seize every opportunity to defend the system that has sustained us for the last 80 years," said President Karis. "The world we live in today, which is based on laws and rules, deserves to be preserved," emphasised the Estonian Head of State, who said that the world order is changing, and the geopolitical balance of power and pressure from big countries are putting small countries in a difficult situation.

Text of the speech: Speech by President Alar Karis on the panel of the Lennart Meri Conference: Towards the future: Small and Tough

Photos: Raigo Pajula/Office of the President of the Republic https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCTWym