Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Canberra today, 12 March, to
discuss the closely interconnected security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, developments in the Middle East, cyber cooperation, the launch of a special tribunal and cooperation in the field of critical raw materials.
“Despite the great distance, Estonia and Australia are united by a shared understanding of the importance of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is why Australia has taken a clear position regarding Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”
“Since the beginning of the full-scale aggression, Australia has supported Ukraine militarily and, together with New Zealand, they are the only non-NATO countries contributing to NATO’s military assistance initiative PURL, and Australia is participating in working out security guarantees for Ukraine. Australia has also imposed strong sanctions against Russia,” Tsahkna said. “Australia understands that changing borders by force anywhere in the world also affects its own security.”
The foreign ministers also discussed the protection of critical underwater infrastructure and the deterrence of the shadow fleet, as well as issues related to disinformation and cyber security.
“There are many areas that know no borders and that are a common concern both for Europe and for the Indo-Pacific region,” Tsahkna said, adding that cooperation in the Nordic-Baltic (NB8) format, chaired by Estonia this year, could be particularly effective.
The meeting also addressed launching the special tribunal to hold the Russian leadership accountable for the crime of aggression and the threat posed to the internal security of Western countries by Russian fighters.
An important topic during the ongoing visit to Australia is also cooperation in the field of critical raw materials in order to ensure diversified supply chains and uninterrupted access to strategic resources.
“We proposed establishing a working group to strengthen cooperation in the field of critical raw materials,” said Tsahkna.
Critical raw materials were also discussed with Australia’s Trade Minister Don Farrell. In the meeting with Farrell, Tsahkna also expressed hope that the European Union and Australia would soon reach an agreement on a free trade deal.
Today in Canberra Tsahkna also met Australia’s Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil, with whom he discussed the military lessons of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and NATO cooperation with Australia and other Indo-Pacific partners.
“Estonia and Australia share a similar understanding that investment in strengthening defence and deterrence is an investment in peace, and that contributing to support for Ukraine also strengthens the security of those who provide that support,” Tsahkna said.
Meetings were also held today in the Australian Parliament with the Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick, chair of the parliament’s Estonia friendship group Senator Deborah O’Neill and members of the friendship group, as well as the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Ralph Neumann and members of the committee.
Foreign Minister Tsahkna delivered a keynote address at the conference “Drones in Modern Warfare: Lessons Learnt from the War in Ukraine” held in Canberra, in which he highlighted the lessons of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
“By resisting Russia’s aggression, Ukraine has acquired knowledge and skills from which everyone can learn,” Tsahkna said in his speech. “Ukraine is increasingly becoming not only a country that requires support, but one that itself contributes to ensuring the security of other countries.”
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