Hussar said that after 24 February last year, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and the role of parliaments had grown. According to him, the meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine, which took place in Riga today, and the Joint Statement made together with the Speaker of Bundestag, which called on the Allies to undertake the commitment that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, were excellent examples of cooperation between the parliaments of the region. “Parliaments have a lot to do and explain in supporting Ukraine and increasing the security of the region,” he said.
At the meeting, Hussar and Rinkēvičs also discussed the objectives of the NATO Summit, which will start tomorrow in Vilnius, Lithuania. Among other things, they spoke of Sweden’s accession to NATO, approving of regional defence plans and reaching a defence spending agreement that would be more ambitious than before. The need to strengthen internal security and to deal with psychological defence, particularly to increase the media competence of society, were discussed as well. The situation of cross-border cooperation projects and the possibilities for closer cooperation between the two countries were also addressed at the meeting.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
“In light of the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius we call on the Allies to undertake the commitment that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and the Alliance will establish a path for Ukraine to join NATO,” the Speakers of the six countries say in the Joint Statement, and add that Ukraine should be invited to join NATO as soon as conditions allow through a political decision similar to Finland.
They welcomed the broad support for Ukraine’s membership in NATO, as reflected in the Chair’s Conclusions, expressed at the High-Level Meeting of Speakers of Parliaments of NATO countries held in Vilnius at the beginning of June, as well as in the statements of support by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the European Parliament and the Parliaments of Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
Ahead of the upcoming Vilnius Summit, the speakers called on the Allies to work closely to develop security commitments for Ukraine which will in no way be an alternative to Ukraine’s membership in NATO and should not slow down Ukraine’s progress towards membership in NATO. They also called on supporting the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Speakers of the six countries think it is necessary to continue taking coordinated measures to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs for military and defence equipment, focusing directly on air defence systems, long-range artillery and necessary ammunition, tanks and combat aircrafts. They call on assisting Ukraine in strengthening its defence capabilities and potential, including land, sea and air components, until Ukraine fully restores its territorial integrity and sovereignty within the internationally recognized borders of 1991.
They also consider it essential to establish a crisis consultation mechanism with Ukraine to conduct consultations in the event of a threat to the territorial integrity, political independence or security of Ukraine or any of the NATO member states, and to provide NATO’s practical assistance to Ukraine by further strengthening the Comprehensive Assistance Package, aimed at achieving full interoperability of Ukraine with the Alliance and a comprehensive transition to NATO standards. In their opinion, the NATO-EU strategic partnership should be taken to the next level and the cooperation between NATO and EU should be focused on achieving truly tangible results on transatlantic security priorities.
The Joint Statement was signed by Lauri Hussar from the Parliament of Estonia, Edvards Smiltēns from the Parliament of Latvia, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen from the Parliament of Lithuania, Elżbieta Witek from the Parliament of Poland, Bärbel Bas from the Parliament of Germany and Ruslan Stefanchuk from the Parliament of Ukraine. The Speakers made the Joint Statement after the two-day meeting of the Baltic, Polish and Ukrainian Speakers in Riga. Yesterday, the Speakers visited the Latvian Song and Dance Festival and met with President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs, with whom they discussed supporting of Ukraine.
According to Hussar, strong support for Ukraine will be at the heart of both the meeting of the Speakers and the NATO Summit that will start in Vilnius on Tuesday. “We must do everything we can to give Ukraine all the help and support they need to win the war. As the Speakers of the Parliaments of five countries, we will discuss how our countries, as well as the wider international community, could support Ukraine even more effectively in the fight against Russian aggression as well as on the road to the EU and NATO,” he said.
Hussar underlined that the countries participating in the meeting were convinced that in order to achieve lasting peace, Ukraine had to become a member of both the European Union and NATO. In mid-May this year, the Riigikogu passed the Statement in support of Ukraine’s wish to join NATO as the only way to ensure a rules-based world order, lasting peace and the security of the democratic countries of Europe. In the Statement, the Riigikogu said that it was important to formulate the steps necessary for Ukraine’s rapid integration into NATO at the Vilnius Summit, and to grant Ukraine an invitation to join the Alliance.
At the meeting, the Speakers will also discuss raising the cost of aggression to Russia. “We have to impose new sanctions and consistently enforce those already in place, as well as move forward with using Russia’s frozen assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine,” Hussar said, and added that the establishing of a special international tribunal is also high on the agenda of the discussions. In mid-June, the Riigikogu was the first parliament that adopted a Statement in which it demanded holding to account individually those involved in planning, preparation, launching and committing the crime of aggression against Ukraine, and called on establishing for this a special international tribunal under the auspices of the UN.
Besides Hussar, Edvards Smiltēns from the Parliament of Latvia, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen from the Parliament of Lithuania, Elżbieta Witek from the Parliament of Poland and Ruslan Stefanchuk from the Parliament of Ukraine participate in the meeting of the Speakers. At the end of the meeting, the Speakers plan to adopt a Joint Statement.
Today, Hussar together with other Speakers will meet with the President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs and attend the Latvian Song and Dance Festival.
Mihkelson said that Uzbekistan was an important country in a strategically important region which was influenced by the interests of China and Russia as well as the events in Afghanistan. “Stability in Central Asia is also in the interests of the security of Estonia,” he underlined.
During the visit, which will take place from Sunday to Tuesday, the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees wish to get an overview of the current situation in the country and its political and economic developments. In Tashkent, Mihkelson and Kols will meet with First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Oliy Majlis (Parliament) of Uzbekistan Sodiq Safoev, First Deputy Speaker of Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis Akmal Saidov, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bahtiyor Saidov and Minister of Higher Education and Innovation Ibrohim Abdurakhmanov. They will also have meetings with Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov and Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov.
The Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees plan to meet with the leaders of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan and the International Institute for Central Asia. Mihkelson and Kols will also have meetings with the Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan on Afghanistan and the Mayor of Tashkent.
According to Chairman of the National Defence Committee Kalev Stoicescu, it is now crucial to closely associate Ukraine with the Euro-Atlantic institutions, as the restoration of peace in the whole Europe depends on it. “Russia is an aggressor state and it is necessary to stand against them decisively. At the Summit, the Alliance must underline the continued threat from Russia and the need to bring to justice all those responsible for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. We also expect the Vilnius Summit to make decisions to further strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence posture and to increase defence investment,” he said.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson thinks that the main objective of the Summit is to achieve strong support for Ukraine, including reaching an agreement on giving Ukraine a clear perspective of joining NATO. “The Riigikogu has given its message in the Statement made in mid-May: we expect the NATO Summit to issue an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance and to formulate concrete actions that would enable the country to integrate quickly into NATO,” he added.
The National Defence Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu discussed preparations for the NATO Summit, which will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, at the joint off-site sitting at the Government Office. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas gave the Committees an overview of Estonia’s positions.
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“Estonia will support Ukraine for as long as necessary, because the war is not over and Ukraine must win. Counter-offensive is a very difficult task, but Russia’s lines of resistance will eventually be broken,” Chairman of the National Defence Committee Kalev Stoicescu said.
The representatives of the National Defence Committee were in Ukraine from Wednesday till Friday. In Kiev, they met with Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov, Deputy Minister of Defence Volodymyr Havrylov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yevhen Perebyinis as well as the Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament). During the meetings, the members of the Riigikogu were given a detailed overview of Ukraine’s counter-offensive and the state of national defence. According to Stoicescu, the Ukrainians are moving forward slowly but steadily, fighting fiercely for the liberation of every metre of Ukrainian territory.
The options for dealing with Russia after Ukraine’s victory were also discussed at the meetings, as well as bringing of Russia’s war criminals to justice and the payment of reparations to Ukraine.
On the Constitution Day of Ukraine, the members of the National Defence Committee had meetings with First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Korniyenko and Chairman of the Ukraine-Estonia Parliamentary Friendship Group Arsenii Pushkarenko. The discussions focused on achieving Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and NATO as soon as possible. The delegation of the National Defence Committee also visited the city of Ovruch in Zhytomyr Oblast, where they saw the kindergarten built by Estonians and met with the officers of the 115th Territorial Defence Brigade. One battalion of the Brigade was moving to the southern front to liberate Bahmut.
Besides Stoicescu, members of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu Meelis Kiili, Ants Laaneots, Priit Sibul and Peeter Tali also participated in the visit.
Head of the Estonian delegation Mati Raidma said that this year’s Annual Session of the OSCE PA would focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine. “It is of utmost importance that the international community shows the greatest possible unity and commitment to global security,” Raidma emphasised. “The war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine must be punished and they must be investigated by a special international tribunal. The resolutions adopted by the Assembly must form a united front of support for Ukraine.”
The Annual Session of the OSCE PA will also focus on the challenges faced by the organisation itself in terms of membership, governance and future. “It is extremely worrying that the boycotting actions of Russia and Belarus have partly paralysed the organisation’s capacity to function,” Raidma said.
Member of the Estonian delegation Heljo Pikhof participates in the work of the Assembly’s General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, where the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is on the agenda. “The aggressor’s brutal violations of human rights, the fate of thousands of deported Ukrainian children, the continuous missile attacks on civilian infrastructure, schools and hospitals are examples that describe the current situation. Russia’s war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as violations of international human and humanitarian rights, have to get a just punishment,” Pikhof underlined.
Besides participating in the main programme of the Annual Session, it is planned to hold a consultation of the delegations of the NB8 region and a bilateral meeting with the German delegation. The Estonian delegation will also meet with Honorary Consuls of Estonia in Vancouver.
The Annual Session will focus on strengthening regional security by fostering democratic and inclusive societies. The Annual session will be livestreamed on the OSCE PA YouTube channel.
The aim of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is to increase the involvement of its participating states in resolving European political and security issues, to enhance civilian control over military affairs and to strengthen the responsibility and influence of members of parliament.
“Individually and with our NATO Allies we must continue strengthening collective defence and deterrence and border security in NATO’s eastern flank bordering Russia and Belarus. We look forward to concrete action on this goal at the forthcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius,” the Speakers emphasised in the Joint Declaration.
In their opinion, our focus must stay on assisting Ukraine. “Together with our Allies and partners we will continue providing all the necessary support to Ukraine, for as long as necessary, until Ukraine’s victory. We call on the whole international community to increase the support to Ukraine in its ongoing struggle for freedom and territorial integrity,” the Speakers noted, and called on called on establishing of a special international tribunal under the auspices of the UN General Assembly to prosecute the crime of aggression committed by the leadership of the Russian Federation.
The Speakers of the Baltic Parliaments expressed their conviction that ultimately Ukraine’s security in the long-run can be best guaranteed by collective defence of NATO, and called on NATO leaders to start a substantive process of inviting Ukraine to join NATO at the Summit in Vilnius.
The Speakers underlined that the Parliaments of the Baltic States had long labelled the Wagner mercenary group as terrorist organization for the atrocities committed by its members on the territory of Ukraine and against the Ukrainian population. “We reiterate our call on the European Union (EU) to include the Wagner mercenary group in the list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts (EU terrorist list) not least for the violence and instability the group spreads on the African continent and elsewhere,” they said.
According to the Speakers, the emergence of the Wagner mercenary group in Belarus could make the security situation on the eastern borders of NATO and the EU even more precarious. “We reiterate our condemnation of Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus for supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. The harbouring of the terrorist organization Wagner group by Belarus is unacceptable and we call for further strengthening sanctions against Belarus,” the Speakers added.
The Joint Declaration was signed by President of the Riigikogu (Parliament) of Estonia Lauri Hussar, Speaker of the Saeima (Parliament) of Latvia Edvards Smiltēns and Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.
According to Deputy Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski, the Committee supports digitalisation of passports and identity cards to facilitate travelling. “I believe that digital travel documents will significantly accelerate the work of the border crossing points, shorten the waiting time of travellers and improve the safety of border control,” she said. “When developing digital documents, special attention has to be paid to their security, the prevention of possible misuse and data protection rules. A digital document must be at least as secure as a physical travel document.”
It was pointed out at the sitting that with a digital travel document, it would be possible to go on board after validation of identity through facial biometrics, and that the digital document also had to be in a mobile app. At first, it will probably be necessary to carry a physical document in addition to a digital travel document, but in the longer term, it will not be necessary any more to carry a passport or other identity document when travelling in the European Union. The possibility of using a physical document must be retained for those whose facial biometrics cannot be read or who do not use a smartphone.
The positions approved by the European Union Affairs Committee set out that the EU-level solution should support global interoperability of digital travel documents and be based on common International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. The digital travel documents should also be compatible with the European digital identity wallet that is being developed.
According to Estonia’s position, EU countries should implement digital travel documents at the same time or at least recognise the solution to be created, and a sufficient transition period has to be ensured. As a first step, Estonia supports a solution where the data of the digital document are linked to the physical document. Estonia’s positions also underline that it should be possible to create and use a digital travel document to return to the country of citizenship if the physical document has been stolen or lost in a foreign country.
The European Union Affairs Committee decided to support the positions submitted by the Government. It was noted at the sitting of the Committee that the public consultation would be followed by an impact assessment, and after that, it is planned to present a proposal for a Regulation.
At the sitting of the European Union Affairs Committee, Adviser at the Border Guard and Migration Policy Department of the Ministry of the Interior Elen Kraavik gave an overview of the positions of the Government and replied to the questions of the members of the Committee.