Erkki Tuomioja: Lugupeetud kohalviibijad, hyvät ystävät, Ladies and Gentlemen,

History is also about stories. Today's event is that in particular. The story of the Finnish Embassy, or actually many different forms of being represented in a country next to ours, has now been put into words and stories. The idea was a result of a lunch meeting of then ambassador in Tallinn Aleksi Härkönen and now ambassador in Helsinki Margus Laidre. As an active particiupant in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs history committee and as a historian very deeply involved with Estonia, both professionally and personally, it was natural for me to approve the initiative. There are thus many fine reasons for me to be present at this event – I am honoured to be here.

Stories can be told orally and in writing. History books are important because this is the way to permanently store and deliver stories for larger audience. Books can be science-like descriptions of events, full of footnotes, names and numbers. They can also be stories of human fate, events of common interest, incidents and encounterings. This book we are celebrating today is actually both. The text flows as a book of stories, yet being based on profound archive research and hours of conversations with those who have seen it and been there.

During the years of Sovjet occupation in Estonia history was conveyed to the next generations through stories told by mothers, fathers and grandparents. I mean the rememberance and understanding of historical events, as they were experienced by those living through them – not as the political regime wanted them to be or described them to be. In any dictatorial regime historygraphy is used as a tool to promote the narrative most convenient to the regime. I am convinced that the oral history of the first period of Estonian independence kept the real history alive and had an important role in re-establishing an independent statehood. There were models and aspirations to follow – the historical heritage of a nation.

This house has all the stories to tell – how unfortunate that the walls and fireplaces cannot share their experiences with us. Just think, in this place there were people, individuals and families, well over one thousand years ago. In Tallinn people lived in lime stone houses when at the same time people in Finland were only hunter-gatherers.

In this room the chandeliers are the very same ones that young architect Georg Winterhalter chose and the chest in the back of the room has so-to-say always been there. Winterhalter actually came to Tallinn to design the neighbouring House of Estates, later the Museum of Arts. I am sure he was most excited to expand his work also to the neighbouring lot, von Uexküll's city palace. In my office as a foreign minister, I have seen almost all Finnish embassies and residences. None of them compare with our embassy in Tallinn – although many of them are exceptional in some other way. The location and the beauty are simply unique. I can only admire the courage of those making the decision to buy the real estate in 1926 of Konstantin Päts. I am sure both parties of the deal would be proud of it even today.

When Estonia regained its independence in 1991, Finland already had a permanent office in Tallinn on Liivalaia; the visaqueues revealed the location. Presence in Tallinn had started in a two-room flat in Mustamäe, hosting the visa-office, a hidden corner in a suburban area, not to give an image of a foreign representation in a capital of a nation. When perestroika and glasnost started to open the borders for freer travelling, the hidden corner was not enough anymore. The gap of fifty years of our two people not sharing their everyday life or not trading with each other began to fade, later leading to opening a larger consular office and eventually a full capacity Embassy.

Locating the Embassy again on Toompea was - surprisingly enough - not certain. The building was and is very big, it being a historical monument was and is a limitation, it was and is a bit challenging as modern office premises. But there really was no other option. Against all rational reasoning the emotion and respect for history was stronger.

The renovation was done with taste, quality, skill and professionality – both in architectural designand in technical implementation. The house looks today the same as it did when the inauguration took place in November 1996 although literally tens of thousands of visitors have passed through the salons and staircases. The house deserved and deserves all care and attention – but also the visitors.

We must share the history of our relations and the story of the house with pride, honouring also those who took part in bringing its glory back. The project was not easy. There were archeologists all over the site, construction design to renovate, renew and keep at the same time was a continuous search for balance. But luckily there was a lot of handicraft skills and professionality available – the glory of the 19th century could be brought back.

There were actually four moments in the 1990´s which could be called symbols of the Finnish-Estonian relations. First, re-establishing the diplomatic relations between our two countries. Finland had never recognized the loss of independence of Estonia, thus only one diplomatic note was needed to give the Embassy its role to represent Finland also politically.

The second was Finland's accession to the European Union in 1995. This gave us the possibility to actively work for the EU membership of the Baltic states – which was not an easy task. In many European capitals there was less information and thus less trust towards the European character of the Baltics. With tremendous own efforts and solid partners EU membership could be celebrated already in 2004.

Third point was the visa freedom between the Baltics and Finland, also Sweden in May 1997, The path towards restoring the historical geographical vicinity of our two countries was opened, later complemented by the Schengen regime. Today 8 million crossings over the Gulf of Finland tell the story of interaction and the urge to fetch or to bring something across the Gulf – be it then goods or services, people or vehicles, business or pleasure.

And the fourth was the restauration of this building. It is a symbol. It was and is an investment of Finland to be active, open and visible in Tallinn, serving both countries, their interests and their citizens. The house merits its notorious location and its magnificent interior design. It obligates the people working here to respect the stories but also to know them and tell them further. Kohtu 4 is not an address or a building – Kohtu 4 is a story of lost and found statehood, lost and found values, lost and found glory.

This is why the book was written. Stories deserve to be told.

I want to thank warmly the author of the book Jussi Pekkarinen. I also want to thank all who have given their time to his interviews. I thank Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura and Publishing house Varrak for your effort and belief in the project. And I thank translators Piret Saluri and Kulle Raig. It is not a coincidence that it is published at the same time in Finnish and in Estonian. The book is our story and it must be told to us both.