An accession protocol was prepared during the negotiations, which was later ratified by the member states. The purpose of the activities of the delegation was to ensure rapid integration with NATO structures in line with the interests of Estonia. Therefore, the delegation involved a wide range of agencies dealing with NATO integration. The expenses of the delegation members and experts were covered by the relevant ministry or the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was responsible for the technical servicing of the delegation.
The delegation included:
- Jüri Luik – Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, head of the delegation;
- Lauri Almann – Advisor to the Ministry of Defence, head of the Legal Affairs subgroup;
- Margus Kolga – Undersecretary for Defence Policy of the Ministry of Defence, Head of the Defence, Information, and Security subgroup;
- Harri Tiido – Undersecretary for Security Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, head of the Political Issues subgroup;
- Margus Uudam – Undersecretary for Economic Policy of the Ministry of Finance, head of the Financial Affairs subgroup;
- Sulev Kannike – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia, Permanent Representative to NATO;
- Oliver Kask – Acting Head of the Public Law Department of the Ministry of Justice;
- Toomas Kukk – Secretary II of the 1st Office of the 1st Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Leo Kunnas – Major, Acting Chief of the Operations Department of the Headquarters of the Defence Forces;
- Alar Laneman – Colonel, Chief of Staff of the Headquarters of the Defence Forces;
- Tiit Noorkõiv – Head of the Defence Policy and Defence Planning Department of the Ministry of Defence;
- Gea Rennel – Director General of the 1st Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Hermann Simm – Head of the State Secret Protection Department of the Ministry of Defence;
- Indrek Sirel – Lieutenant Colonel, Deputy Chief of the Analysis and Planning Department of the Headquarters of the Defence Forces;
- Sander Soone – Advisor to the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Estonia to NATO, responsible secretary;
Kalev Timberg – Undersecretary for Internal Security of the Ministry of the Interior.
Ratification of accession protocols
The accession protocols of the seven new NATO members – Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia – signed in Brussels on 26 March 2003 have been ratified by all 19 member countries of the organisation. All seven joining countries have also ratified the Washington Treaty of 1949 (the North Atlantic Treaty) with all annexes.
New members deposit the ratified treaty with the US Department of State as pursuant to the Washington Treaty, the US is its depositary. From the moment of deposit on 29 March 2004, the acceding country became a full member of NATO.
At the NATO summit in the summer of 2004 in Istanbul, the newly joined countries therefore participated as members.
NATO accession ceremony on 2 April 2004
On 2 April 2004, the ceremony of seven new member states joining NATO took place in Brussels. The flags of seven more countries – Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia – were hoisted in front of the NATO headquarters in addition to the previous 19 member state flags.
Legally, Estonia became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation already on 29 March, when all seven countries deposited the accession document with the US Government in Washington. From that moment on, there were therefore 26 member states in NATO that, pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty, have equal rights and obligations in protecting the security of each other’.
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Last updated: 24.08.2022
