Today, 5 November, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna spoke at the Tallinn Digital Summit. The Foreign Minister also met with OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann on the sidelines of the conference. This year’s summit focuses on artificial intelligence and the agentic state, including the impact of artificial intelligence, digital government and cybersecurity on society.
On the first day of the conference, Foreign Minister Tsahkna took part in a panel discussion on how cooperation between governments and technology companies can help strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and competitiveness.
In his remarks, Tsahkna emphasised that, for Estonia, digital sovereignty does not mean isolation, but having freedom of choice, capabilities and control. “In developing Estonia’s digital government, we have always relied on public-private partnerships, international cooperation and the smart reuse and adaptation of existing solutions to meet our needs. A good example of this is X-Road, which originated in Estonia and has since evolved into a solution used internationally. The same principles of cooperation also apply to artificial intelligence solutions,” he explained.
The Foreign Minister also highlighted that Russia’s war against Ukraine reminds us every day that the threats Russia poses to Europe are real and immediate. “As part of its broader aggression, Russia uses cyberattacks, disinformation and pressure on critical infrastructure. Therefore, the fundamental question is not strategic autonomy as an abstract concept, but whether Europe can continue to function, defend itself and support Ukraine, including in the cyber domain, under sustained pressure,” Tsahkna said, adding that Estonia must increasingly strengthen its cooperation with Allies
The Foreign Minister also met with OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann at the Tallinn Digital Summit to discuss Estonia’s experience and cooperation within OECD networks. “The OECD is Estonia’s most valuable international partner in cooperation on education and innovation. Estonia has been a pioneer in developing digital government, and we now want to be at the forefront of adopting artificial intelligence in public services, education and business,” Tsahkna said. The Minister also confirmed that Cormann was very welcome to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2027.
The Foreign Minister has further high-level meetings scheduled on the sidelines of the Tallinn Digital Summit, including with the Crown Prince of Jordan.
The Tallinn Digital Summit brings together politicians, technology experts, thought leaders and business representatives every year to discuss the most topical issues in the digital and cyber world. The 2026 conference is the ninth edition of the summit and has attracted more than 1,000 participants from 81 countries.
Additional information
Communication Department
[email protected]
www.vm.ee | @MFAestonia