At his meeting in Tallinn today with Danish Minister for European Affairs Nicolai Wammen, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that next year is the Baltic Sea Year for Estonia, since Estonia will simultaneously lead the co-operation of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, the Nordic and Baltic countries (NB8), and the Baltic states.
Paet said that energy and cyber co-operation are at the heart of the co-operation among Baltic Sea states. “In the area of energy, it is necessary to create better electric and gas connections between states. For example between Estonia and Finland, Sweden and Lithuania, and Poland and Lithuania,” he added.
The ministers also discussed Estonia’s potential desire to apply for observer status in the Arctic Council.
Foreign Minister Paet stated that we can also work together in European Union Eastern Partnership, ensuring that the integration of Eastern Partners does not end before nor after the Vilnius summit. Paet invited Denmark to co-operate with the Estonian Centre of Eastern Partnership. Finland and Sweden already participate in the work of the centre.
At their meeting, the ministers also talked about Estonia-Denmark bilateral relations. Foreign Minister Paet stated that relations between the countries are good, but there is room for development in economic relations. “In 2012, trade with Denmark made up only 2.4% of Estonia’s total trade. That placed Denmark in 13th place among all our trade partners,” he stated.