Presidents of Estonia, Poland greet air force personnel at Amari air base

Estonian President Alar Karis and Polish President Andrzej Duda at Ämari air base, Photo: Tairo Lutter

Estonian President Alar Karis and First Lady Sirje Karis welcomed Polish President Andrzej Duda and First Lady of Poland Agata Kornhauser-Duda at Amari air base, where they paid a visit to the Polish Air Force personnel.

The presidential couples met with Polish and Estonian air force personnel serving in NATO's air policing mission at the airbase.

«I highly appreciate Poland's contribution to NATO, including ensuring the security of Estonia and the Baltic region, whether it be through NATO's air policing mission in Amari or their participation in our exercises,» Karis said when meeting with his Polish counterpart and the service members.

The Estonian head of state said that Poland's leading role in ensuring security in the Baltic Sea region within NATO is of utmost importance.

«Both Estonia and Poland take security and defense seriously, and together we are leading the way in NATO in terms of defense readiness, investments, and deterrence,» Karis said, adding that both countries' defense spending reaches 3 percent of their GDP.

This is the second time Polish Air Force personnel have participated in the air policing mission from Amari; the last time was in 2020. The Polish fighter jets deployed to Amari are on alert 24 hours a day, conduct identification flights as needed, and regularly perform training flights.