Karis says Siim Kallas was a statesman

Estonian President Alar Karis said Siim Kallas was a statesman who played an important role in shaping Estonia into the country it is today, ERR reported on Saturday.

“Siim Kallas will always be remembered among the statesmen who shaped Estonia through bold, forward-looking goals and actions,” Karis wrote on social media.

“The period of the Singing Revolution, the restoration of independence and the building of a free Estonia into a modern, European state required precisely this kind of independent thinking and courage to act. We can see Siim Kallas’ important role in the economic reforms, Estonia’s accession to the European Union and NATO, and the defence of freedoms. He helped our country grow more self-confident, stronger and more European,” Karis added.

The president expressed his condolences to Kallas’ family and loved ones.

Siim Kallas, who was born in 1948, died on Saturday.