Today, 8 October, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met with visiting
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. The meeting focused on bilateral relations, European security, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and increasing the cost of the aggression for Russia.
Minister Tsahkna emphasised that as countries bordering the European Union, Estonia and Greece have a similar understanding of security threats. “As our eastern neighbour Russia moves ever more aggressively across allied borders, strengthening defence capabilities is crucial,” said Tsahkna. “We need to continue increasing defence spending to strengthen the defence of NATO’s Eastern Flank and South-eastern Flank on land, at sea and in the air.”
The Estonian foreign minister thanked his Greek colleague for his support in NATO Article 4 discussions and at the extraordinary UN Security Council meeting in September, which Estonia convened in connection with serious violations of Estonia’s air borders by Russian fighters. “Estonia and Greece stand steadfastly for the principles of international law, valuing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states,” Tsahkna stressed. Greece is a member of the UN Security Council until 2026.
Speaking about the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine, Minister Tsahkna stressed the need to keep up the political and economic pressure on Russia. “To stop the Russian war machine, we urgently need to adopt a strong 19th EU sanctions package, which would include additional measures against the Russian shadow fleet feeding the war machine and ban the export of Russian fossil fuels,” Tsahkna noted. “We also need to move forward with mobilising Russia’s frozen assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction.”
In addition, opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the areas of economy, digital affairs and tourism were discussed.
As part of their meeting, the foreign ministers made a joint visit to the Maarjamäe Memorial for Victims of Communism.
Photos from the meeting.
The foreign ministers’ press conference is available for replay.
Additional information
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