On 12 May 1990, initiated by Arnold Ruutel, the Council of the Baltic States was established in Tallinn,
which, from the point of view of the struggle for independence, played an important role in the formation
of a united front of the Baltic States.
On 20 August 1991 the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia adopted a resolution on Estonia's
national independence and, on 17 September 1991, the Republic of Estonia became a full member
of the United Nations Organization.
The intense but bloodless struggle for the independence of Estonia had been successful.
During these years he was the Head of State of Estonia and played an important role
in uniting the people and political forces in the struggle for a common cause.

In parallel to leading the state, he continued his scientific research and, in 1991, took his doctorate in agriculture.
He is Honorary Doctor of Bentley College, USA, Emeritus Professor at the Estonian Agricultural University,
Honorary Doctor of the University of Helsinki,
Foreign Member of the Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences, Honorary Doctor of the II University of Naples,
Honorary Doctor of the Szent Istvan University of Hungary, and Honorary Doctor of the L. N. Gtunilyov
Eurasian National University of Kazakhstan.

He has published more than one hundred scientific works both in Estonia and abroad.
In 1991 Arnold Ruutel delivered a speech in the UN General Assembly as the Head of State of Estonia.
In 1992 he gave a speech at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.
This conference laid the basis for a new stage in global nature conservation.