Urmas Reinsalu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia paid official visit to Lithuania today on June, 14 and met his Lithuanian colleague Linas Linkevičius affirming the good relations between the two countries and the need for continued joint efforts to ensure the security of the region.
“Shared objectives in foreign policy and an understanding of the security situation further strengthen our good relations. Baltic defence cooperation is stronger than ever before and we must continue on this course,” Reinsalu said, also stressing the importance of preserving transatlantic ties. “In the context of NATO, we must focus, above all, on the alliance’s capabilities in managing new threats,” the Foreign Minister said.
The foreign ministers discussed the situation in Ukraine, strongly condemning Russia’s actions, including issuing expedited Russian citizenship to residents of Ukraine. “As the European Union, we must jointly protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and strive towards the resolution of the conflict,” the Foreign Minister emphasized. The meeting also touched on the Eastern Partnership, and the ministers reaffirmed the need to keep the EU focused on the programme and help partner countries move on with reforms.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius congratulated his Estonian counterpart on being elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Reinsalu stressed that by actively working in the global organization, Estonia is also helping ensure the security of the Baltic region more efficiently.
Reinsalu confirmed that Estonia is ready to host the Three Seas Initiative summit in 2020. The ministers also discussed issued related to the future of the EU, including enlargement, and regional projects, including Rail Baltic and the de-synchronisation of the electrical grid.
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmEfHB8n