Yesterday 8 September, Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu met with the Foreign Minister of Norway Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide in Tallinn. The meeting covered bilateral and regional issues (Nordic-Baltic cooperation, the Arctic Council), foreign affairs developments and cooperation at the UN Security Council.
The ministers also discussed UN Security Council topics, as both Estonia and Norway are non-permanent members of the council in 2021. “For the first time, two Nordic-Baltic countries will be elected members of the UN Security Council at the same time,” Foreign Minister Reinsalu said. “This offers new opportunities for like-minded European countries to address their common priorities and present their positions.”
“We reaffirmed our shared commitment to reinforcing the regional cooperation of Nordic-Baltic countries,” Reinsalu said. “In light of the current crisis, close regional cooperation is particularly important, and we are grateful to our Norwegian colleagues for our active communication.” Minister Reinsalu also presented Estonia’s plan to apply for observer status on the Arctic Council. Estonia is planning to submit its proposal to the Secretariat of the Arctic Council in Norway in the coming months.
The ministers also discussed the situation in Belarus, expressing concern over the violence and arrests, and talked about the possible ways of supporting the society of Belarus. They also spoke about the poisoning of Alexei Navalny and the need for an international investigation.
The bilateral meeting of ministers is followed by the meeting of the foreign affairs ministers of Nordic countries and Baltic States, where the agenda includes current foreign policy issues, regional integration and further cooperation possibilities.
Photos (Raigo Pajula): https://flic.kr/s/aHsmQD1eKB
Additional information:
Pia Kuusik
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Media Adviser
Communication Department
+372 5635 7866
www.vm.ee