Mikser to NATO Deputy Secretary General: Europe takes its security seriously

Today, Foreign Minister Sven Mikser met with NATO i Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller in the margins of the Lennart Meri Conference to discuss preparations for the NATO meeting of the Heads of State or Government taking place on 25 May, and the positions of Estonia.

Mikser and Gottemoeller agree that the increase of defence spending of the European allies is important. “It demonstrates that we take our security seriously,” Mikser confirmed.

Discussing the 25 May meeting, Mikser welcomed its focus on the unity of allies, transatlantic relations, fair burden-sharing and a more effective fight against terrorism. “Although NATO has fought against terrorism in various ways for a long time, we support making these activities more effective and visible. One possible step could be NATO joining the Global Coalition against Daesh, a step that Estonia would certainly support,” Mikser noted.

The Foreign Minister and the Deputy Secretary General also discussed NATO-Russia relations and the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU, including cooperation between the EU and NATO, which is one of the priorities of the Estonian presidency.