First Lady Pays A Visit To Estonia Clinton Praises Nation’s ‘Commitment To Democracy’

Hillary Rodham Clinton walked the cobblestone streets of Town Square here Monday in a country she praised for its “tenacious commitment to democracy.”

Estonia, a nation of only 1.5 million people, is valued by the United States for its fast-developing freedoms and proximity to Russia.

The first lady arrived late in the afternoon after ending a two-day visit to Hungary.

“I bring a message of encouragement and support from America. We admire your courage, tenacity and commitment to democracy,” the first lady said in a statement upon arrival.

She did not talk to the large American and Estonian press corps which followed her and a two-country security detail through the narrow streets of Tallinn, one of the oldest cities on the Baltic Sea.

Her first stop was Kadriorg Palace, where a trio of saxophonists played from a balcony while Clinton attended a reception with 200 prominent Estonians gathered at a long reflecting pool.

Walking shoulder to shoulder with President Lennart Meri and his wife, professional actress Helle Meri, the first lady headed for the city center. With large crowds in tow, Clinton gazed at the long city wall, churches with their graceful steeples, houses and towers with red-tile roofs.

She ducked into a crafts shop run by several women, accepting a small piece of pottery as a gift.

Estonia, which was independent between World War I and World War II, emerged as a democratic state after elections in 1992.