Yesterday 19 October, Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets was in Luxembourg to attend a meeting of the General Affairs Council of the European Union. The ministers made preparations for the European Council on 21-22 October, exchanged views on the Conference on the Future of Europe and held an annual discussion on the rule of law in the European Union.
At the discussion on the upcoming European Council, Minister Liimets noted the increased need to develop the digital policy of the European Union. “We must ensure the interoperability of data, otherwise we cannot meet the digital targets of the European Union set for 2030, such as the uptake of artificial intelligence,” the minister said. Speaking about digital and other forms of connectivity, Liimets highlighted the trusted connectivity model established at the Tallinn Digital Summit in September. “We must ensure transparent investments into infrastructure in developed and developing countries,” Minister Liimets added.
The European Council agenda also includes the recent spike in energy prices, and touching on the topic, Minister Liimets noted the importance of renewable energy produced in the European Union. The minister emphasised that the green transition in the energy sector should be as cost-effective, justified and transparent for end users as possible. “The only long-term solution is reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels and increasing the share of domestically produced renewable energy,” Liimets added.
Speaking about migration, Minister Liimets stressed it was unacceptable to instrumentalise innocent people for political aims, as we have seen the Lukashenko regime do. “We must agree on strengthening and unifying the surveillance of the European Union’s external border to improve the detection and prevention of illegal entry. The organised migratory pressure on the border between the European Union and Belarus is a hybrid attack on us all and unless we have working solutions and a common understanding of the situation, it could be repeated on the borders of other member states,” Minister Liimets said.
Commenting on the preparations for the Eastern Partnership summit, Minister Liimets said it would be an important milestone. Eastern Partners are our closest neighbours, both in terms of geography as well as political ambitions and therefore, the European Union must show its support and solidarity even during difficult times, which includes vaccine donations to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Foreign Minister Liimets said respect for the rule of law was vital for Estonia as well as the strength and credibility of the European Union. “Estonia’s focus in this discussion is on the digitalisation of justice and legislation. We firmly believe in the potential of digitalisation that would help all countries improve the engagement of the public with the decision-making process and ensure the rule of law,” Minister Liimets said.
Estonia supports the Conference on the Future of Europe initiative aimed at discussing the important topics facing the European Union with citizens and thereby increasing the unity of the European Union. “We consider it crucial to include all parties – institutions, citizens, national parliaments and representative organisations – in the discussions on shaping the future,” Minister Liimets said. “Our priority is sustainable, climate neutral and digitally supported economic development.”
Additional information:
Kristina Ots
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
[email protected]
