Today, Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu met with the Foreign Minister of Denmark Jeppe Kofod, who is on a visit to Tallinn. The ministers discussed bilateral relations and regional cooperation, including on energy, as well as the situation in Belarus, transatlantic cooperation and other current affairs.
Minister Reinsalu said he was glad that the relations between Estonia and Denmark were close and the countries were like-minded. Minister Reinsalu thanked and recognised Denmark for its contribution to the region’s security. “Estonia appreciates the presence of Danish troops in Tapa, and its participation in the Baltic Air Policing and in the Headquarters of NATO’s Multinational Division North very highly.”
The minister emphasised that boosting regional cooperation was a priority for Estonia. “We share similar values with Denmark and are closely cooperating in the Nordic-Baltic format, the European Union, NATO and the Eastern Partnership,” Reinsalu said. “Discussing the situation in Belarus, we agreed that we must offer the people of Belarus both moral and practical support, and demand the release of imprisoned opposition leaders and peaceful protesters.”
The ministers noted that the poisoning of Alexei Navalny was an example of cynical behaviour that ran counter to humanity and international law. They stressed the need to conduct an independent and international investigation that included OPCW experts. The ministers agreed that the European Union should be ready to impose restrictive measures if necessary.
They also discussed the need to develop the possibilities of using regional connections, including renewable energy. “Cooperation with partners improves the region’s security of supply and reduces energy dependence,” Reinsalu said. “Both countries consider it important to develop cooperation between countries and diversify energy sources, and increase the use of renewable energy. There are several options for this in the Baltic Sea region – Estonia and Latvia have taken the first steps to prepare their joint offshore wind project in the Gulf of Riga and our network operators have launched Offshore Grid Initiative, an offshore wind energy grid for the Baltic States.”
“Estonia is grateful for Denmark’s cooperation on cyber diplomacy – including on the implementation of the European Union’s cyber sanctions regime this summer,” Reinsalu said. “We spoke about Estonia’s application for observer status on the Arctic Council and I affirmed Estonia’s interest in contributing to the sustainable development of the Arctic region.”
Gallery (Raigo Pajula): https://flic.kr/s/aHsmQCLmxc
Additional information:
Pia Kuusik
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Media Adviser
Communication Department
+372 5635 7866
www.vm.ee
