FM PAET MET FOREIGN SECRETARY MILIBAND IN LONDON

03.03.2008

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, in London on a visit, met Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Monday, 3 March. (View a photo of the two ministers at http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/2306734155/).

The UK Foreign Secretary began their meeting by congratulating the Estonian people on the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. The meeting focused on joint activities in Afghanistan and the upcoming NATO summit in Bucharest.

The foreign ministers confirmed that Estonia and the United Kingdom will continue to participate in creating stability and security for Afghanistan and will increase their contributions for building up the nation. Foreign Minister Paet stated that Estonia will significantly increase its development co-operation aid in Afghanistan this year. “Today an Estonian health care expert arrives in Helmand, whose objective is to develop the health care system and co-ordinate international medical aid,” said Paet.

The Estonian foreign minister believes that the UN and the European Union need to provide more help alongside NATO for building up Afghanistan. The EU’s current contribution is substantial, but not enough. “The European Union is not yet taken seriously as a partner of Afghanistan, because it has not been acknowledged on the highest political level,” said Paet. “The role of the European Union police mission could also be greater than originally planned, as Afghanistan needs a lot of help with organising its police forces,” he added.

The Estonian Foreign Minister emphasised the international organisations active in Afghanistan need to intensify co-operation and co-ordination amongst themselves. “We need a uniform and comprehensive approach as how to help reconstruct Afghanistan,” he stressed.

Thanks to Estonia’s initiative, the EU foreign ministers will discuss issues related to Afghanistan at their regular meeting in April. Meetings between representatives of the nations that are active in southern Afghanistan have become a valuable co-operation format. These meetings were also initiated by Estonia.

In talking about the upcoming NATO summit, Foreign Minister Paet mentioned that Estonia is a firm supporter of the open-door policy. The Estonian and British colleagues agreed that concrete decisions regarding NATO expansion must be made at the Bucharest summit. “We both believe that invitations for accession can be issued to Croatia, Macedonia and Albania, under the condition that they will continue their preparations at the same ambitious pace,” he added.

The two also spoke briefly about the presidential elections that took place in Russia yesterday and acknowledged that a new president assuming office gives Russia the chance to move towards repairing its relations with the European Union and NATO.

Estonia began military co-operation with the Unite Kingdom in July of 2005, when an Estonian mine-clearing team and military observers participated in the team to rebuild Mazar-e-Sharif. Following the United Kingdom’s lead in southern Afghanistan, the Estonian contingent joined the ranks of the UK-led PRT in Helmand in 2006.

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