Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the National Defence Committee are meeting their European counterparts in Finland

NordenBladet —

Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the National Defence Committee are taking part in a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) conference in Helsinki today and tomorrow.

The head of the delegation, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said that the EU Foreign and Security Policy has reached a crucial breaking point. “Europeans must decide whether they wish to become a force that actually influences global trends, or congregate behind the smallest common denominator – concentrating on battles in defence of liberal democracy, which is coming under increasing pressure within the community itself,” Mihkelson said.

The fact that the next President of the European Commission, former German Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen lacked the courage in her programmatic speech at the European Parliament to talk about the Neighbourhood Policy, massive foreign policy challenges, or the narrowing of the European value space, is a sign of the conjunctural and increasingly populist nature of politics at the highest level, in Mihkelson’s view.

“Europe does not need new leaders with fists of iron, instead they must have nerves of iron and ineradicable principles,” Mihkelson said. He added that from the foreign policy point of view, the most critical topic for the European Union over the upcoming months would be the situation around Ukraine, because the atmosphere is similar to Munich or Yalta.

The Chairman of the National Defence Committee Andres Metsoja explains that this format of meetings between the national defence and foreign affairs committees of national parliaments is important for providing a high level overview and having a say on EU foreign, security and defence policy. 

“The conference topics are important and Estonia has experiences in hybrid threats that are worth sharing,” Metsoja said. “Another equally important thing is direct communication with our colleagues, to allow us to understand one another better both concerning the eastern and the southern activities of Europe.” 

The opening topic concerns challenges in the Baltic Sea region and the Arctic. A presentation on this will be given by the President of Finland Sauli Niinistö. The outgoing High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini will take part by video bridge.

The afternoon session will focus on transatlantic unity in global relations, and on EU defence issues. On Friday, there will be discussions on political developments in the Western Balkans, preventing hybrid threats, political trends in the Middle East, as well as climate change, and safety.

The delegation includes members of the Foreign Affairs Committee Anti Poolamets and Raimond Kaljulaid, Deputy Chairman of the National Defence Committee Kalle Laanet, and member of the Committee Ants Laaneots.

Riigikogu Press Service
Epp-Mare Kukemelk
+372 631 6356, +372 515 3903
epp-mare.kukemelk@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Source: Parliament of Estonia