Obama Estonia visit to cost over €500,000

  • 2014-08-28
  • From wire reports, TALLINN

U.S. President Barack Obama (photo: twitter)

U.S President Barack Obama's visit to Estonia next month will cost around 500,000 euros, Estonia's Interior Minister Hanno Pevkur has said.

The U.S head of state is set to visit the Baltic state on September 3, a day before a major NATO summit in Wales. Obama is expected to meet with Estonia's President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and the heads of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland's parliaments.

The main costs will go towards funding the over 1,500 police officers who will be on duty during the visit, Pevkur added.

Up to 300 defense forces members will be used to provide additional security during the Presidents visit, public broadcasting reports.

The figure is in addition to 1,700 police and border guard officers on duty before and during the visit on September 3.

Estonia's government announced additional border checks from August 31 to September 4 ahead of the trip.

The heightened security measures will affect ports, airports and border controls will be restored along Estonia's southern border with Latvia. The measures mean crossing the border between the two EU nations is only permitted through border check points.