Estonian minister: NATO's role in ensuring security and wellbeing is invaluable

TALLINN - The role of NATO in ensuring security and wellbeing is invaluable, Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser, who attended a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Friday, said.

"NATO has significantly strengthened its deterrent and defence capability in recent years and its role in ensuring our security and wellbeing is invaluable. The threats from the south and the east have remained the same and in ensuring collective defence it is important that all European allies would make a sufficient contribution to defence," Mikser said according to spokespeople.

In their meeting, the foreign ministers of the alliance focused on the allied relationship within NATO and cooperation between the United States and Europe.

In addition, the NATO foreign ministers discussed relations with Russia with the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherin and representatives of Finland and Sweden over a working luncheon.

"As long as Russia continues provocative and unpredictable behaviour and undermines the security situation in Europe, there is no reason to change our policy," Mikser said. "In maintaining stability, transatlantic cooperation and standing up for common values are playing a central role, which is demonstrated also by the enhanced presence of allies and the presence of U.S. troops in the Baltic countries," Mikser said.

The minister emphasised that Estonia supports making the anti-terrorist activities of NATO more effective and visible.

"In the fight against terrorism NATO can achieve more through commitment and contribution of the allies. At the moment Estonia has a six-strong training team taking part in the U.S.-led anti-Daesh military operation Inherent Resolve and we are considering taking part also in the training activity of NATO," Mikser said. "We also see a need for deepened EU-NATO cooperation in the field of combating terrorism," he added.

At a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, the foreign ministers reaffirmed their continued support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and found that Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine will have a strong positive effect on the whole region.