National security concept containing agreement on increasing defence spending will be presented to the Riigikogu

NordenBladet —

According to Raimond Kaljulaid, the Chairman of the National Defence Committee, which is the lead committee for the adoption of the National Security Concept, a consensus approval of the updated National Security Concept in the Riigikogu would provide certainty in regard to the financing of national defence, and this would be a strong cross-party message.

“One of the most important changes is that the National Security Concept specifies that we will continue also in long-term perspective to spend at least three per cent of GDP on national defence, to which the funding of expenses of Estonia as a host country for allies will be added. The Concept also provides that in order to increase the crisis resilience of the country and the population as a whole, the permanent financing of non-military capabilities of national defence will be ensured in the state budget strategy,” he said. “If these two principles are approved in the plenary, it will be a significant cross-party agreement on national defence. This is also certainly a message internationally, to our allies as well as to potential adversaries, that Estonia is ready to defend itself and ready to contribute to its defence.”

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Andres Sutt considered it important that the National Security Concept emphasised alliance relations, and alongside the threat posed by Russia, also highlighted the growing influence of China as a long-standing strategic rival on the international arena. “It is important that this Riigikogu updates the National Security Concept, because due to Russia’s full-scale war of aggression, the global security picture is quite different from the picture at the time the previous Concept was approved. I hope that we can approve the updated National Security Concept in the plenary of the Riigikogu in the coming weeks,” he said.

The National Security Concept submitted by the Government is based on updated strategic threat assessment and builds on the National Security Concept adopted in 2017. The aim of the document is to describe the security environment as of the beginning of 2023, to clarify Estonia’s objectives in the increasingly tense security environment and to describe the activities necessary for achieving them. The document covers Estonia’s activities in five areas: social cohesion and national resilience, economic security and vital services, internal security and public order, military defence, and international activities.

At today’s joint sitting of the National Defence Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas gave an overview of the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Approval of “The National Security Concept of Estonia”” (775 OE). The National Defence Committee decided unanimously to make a motion to the plenary assembly to conclude the first reading of the Draft Resolution on 6 February. The Riigikogu will approve the National Security Concept at two readings.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: National security concept containing agreement on increasing defence spending will be presented to the Riigikogu

Source: Parliament of Estonia



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