Estonia: Ratas: The visit of the Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom is a symbolic event in this difficult year

NordenBladet — Today, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas met with Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom, who is visiting members of the British Armed Forces in Estonia, to thank our close allies for contributing to NATO’s deterrence efforts in the region and for the excellent cooperation in international missions.

“I am really pleased that Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, was able to visit the members of the British Armed Forces in Estonia at the end of this difficult year. We highly appreciate the contribution of the United Kingdom to Estonia and it is gratifying that cooperation between our military personnel in Estonia, Afghanistan, and Mali is going so smoothly. I reaffirm that Estonia is committed to ensuring the welfare and training opportunities of our allies in Estonia,” said Ratas.

The prime minister and the secretary of state for defence also spoke about the future relations between Estonia and the United Kingdom. Ratas confirmed that relations between Estonia and the United Kingdom will remain very close in any case. “Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. I am hopeful that an agreement will soon be reached between the European Union and the United Kingdom which will form the basis for close future cooperation.”

Wallace and Ratas also shared their experiences of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on defence cooperation.

Within the framework of its strengthened presence in Estonia, the United Kingdom has 850 members of the British Armed Forces stationed in Estonia, and Estonians also serve in Mali and Afghanistan together with the British.