Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets attends the meeting of NATO foreign ministers on 23 and 24 March. Today 23 March, the ministers discussed Afghanistan and the southern neighbourhood, as well as the Secretary General’s NATO 2030 initiative. This is the first time Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State of the new US administration, attends a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
The first session featured discussions on Afghanistan and threats in NATO’s southern neighbourhood – the Middle East and Northern Africa and Sahel. According to Foreign Minister Liimets, Afghanistan and the future of the Resolute Support Mission involved difficult decisions. “Our presence and our diplomatic efforts must support the Afghan-owned peace process. We commend the new initiatives by the United States and other allies to push forward the Afghan peace talks.”
“We are deeply concerned about the security situation in Afghanistan, including targeted attacks on civilians – civil servants, media, human rights defenders, including women in prominent positions. This is why we remain committed to NATO missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations where we are protecting Euro-Atlantic security and stability with our allies. When NATO’s neighbours in the South are secure, NATO is more secure,” Foreign Minister Liimets said.
In the afternoon, the foreign ministers talked about the future of NATO. “The Alliance is strong and must remain a pillar of Europe’s collective defence as it adapts to emerging threats. Secretary General Stoltenberg recently presented his NATO 2030 initiative for the Alliance’s future, which is certainly ambitious and inspires discussions. The new goals we would like to see developed further include collective resilience, enhanced political consultations, a more streamlined decision-making process, new technologies and the security implications of climate change,” Liimets said. “We must address the challenges posed by the rise of China and violations of international norms.”
“Strengthening the cooperation of NATO and the European Union, and including other partners is crucial. NATO’s open door policy should also stay high on our agenda to encourage aspirant countries to continue reforming,” Liimets added.
Tomorrow 24 March, NATO foreign ministers will discuss Russia and regional security. The foreign ministers of Sweden and Finland, as well as the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell will attend the meeting.
After the session, Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis will meet with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUBoQfc
Additional information:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Communication Department
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