KARIS AT MEETING WITH DUDA ⟩ We must pull ourselves together in NATO and Europe

Estonian President Alar Karis said at a meeting with Polish head of state Andrzej Duda, who is currently on a state visit to Estonia, in Kadriorg on Tuesday that we need to get our security in order and pull ourselves together in NATO and Europe.

«Europe is built on peace, freedom and cooperation. But now we need to act to protect all of this, get our security in order and pull ourselves together in NATO and Europe. We need greater investments in our defense capabilities, better defense industry readiness and stronger political will. Poland is a clear leader here,» Karis said.

«Estonia is moving in the same direction -- already next year we will reach 5 percent of GDP in defense spending. We are not doing this for a slogan, but because this stems from NATO's defense plans, so that we are truly defense-ready,» the president added.

The heads of state of Estonia and Poland spoke about the NATO summit taking place in The Hague this summer.

«A new and realistic Russia strategy must be adopted there. Increasing NATO's defense spending must be the norm, not the exception. Poland and Estonia are already doing it -- we are not just talking about the goal, but about actual choices and contributions,» the Estonian head of state said.

According to Karis, Estonia is grateful to Poland for its strong contribution to ensuring air security in our region.

«Just a few days ago, Polish pilots began a new rotation in the NATO air policing mission at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, also guarding Estonian airspace,» he added.

According to the president, Estonia and Poland have a clear and common understanding that Russia is the most immediate and permanent threat to European security.

«Supporting Ukraine is not a temporary decision, but a conscious and long-term one. We stand for military, humanitarian and economic assistance to continue as long as Ukraine needs it. We cannot allow a possible ceasefire to become a respite for Russia. This would only lead to new aggressions,» Karis said. «Our goal is for Ukraine to remain free and sovereign, and for it to be able to defend itself and rebuild its country.»

«We are supporting Ukraine not only on the front, but also in reconstruction. Estonia is operating in the Zhytomyr region, Poland in Kyiv, Lviv and Poltava. This is strategic, not symbolic work -- our goal is to help Ukraine join the European Union and build a functioning, resilient state,» he added.

Speaking about hybrid threats, Karis noted that we need to better protect cables, pipelines and critical connections in the Baltic Sea region.

«We support a stronger NATO presence and hope to conclude a regional agreement to protect these infrastructures in the coming months,» the head of state said.

The president also spoke about Estonia's economic cooperation with Poland.

«Poland is one of Estonia's most important trading partners in central Europe. Estonian companies, especially in the technology and education sectors, see more and more opportunities in Poland. We have something to offer - and we are also looking forward to Polish entrepreneurs coming to Estonia. Our economic cooperation is a natural part of trust and alliance,» Karis said.

He added that Estonia and Poland are working together to increase European connectivity and resilience.

«Rail Baltic, connecting Tallinn and Warsaw, must become a reality as soon as possible. We also have strong cooperation in energy security -- the synchronization of the Baltic electricity grids with continental Europe would not have been possible without Poland’s firm support,» the president said. «The Three Seas Initiative is a good opportunity to promote investments. At the end of April, Poland will host the Three Seas Summit in Warsaw, where we can intensify cooperation.»

According to Karis, the visit of the Polish head of state is confirmation of how strong and diverse the relationship between Estonia and Poland is.

«We are bound by a common view of Europe, common concerns and common responsibility,» he said. «The state visit of the Polish president carries an important symbolic meaning. It shows the historical connection between our countries. President Duda made his first foreign visit namely to Estonia in August 2015, which sent a clear message about how important he considers relations in our region. Now, however, at the end of his successful term, a state visit brings him back to Estonia.»