Estonian parlt hosting delegation of German Bundestag Germany-Baltic friendship group

TALLINN - President of the Estonian parliament Juri Ratas and members of the national defense committee, foreign affairs committee, and the Estonia-Germany parliamentary group met on Wednesday with the Germany-Baltic friendship group of the German Bundestag, chaired by Alexander Graf Lambsdorff.

Ratas described our bilateral relations with Germany as very important in the turbulent world.

"Estonia greatly appreciates your presence in air policing, as well as your work as the framework nation for the NATO battlegroup in Lithuania," Ratas emphasized. He acknowledged the efforts of the German government and parliament in offering continuous support to Ukraine. "Emergency military aid must continue," Ratas stressed.  

He underlined the importance of the close cooperation between the two countries in the parliamentary framework.

The guests expressed their eagerness to be present at the flag hoisting on Toompea on Feb. 24, when Estonia is celebrating its 105th anniversary. Ratas evoked the second event that this day symbolized in connection with the aggression in Ukraine.

Chairman of the foreign affairs committee Andres Sutt said that keeping the allied unity plays a key role in supporting Ukraine.

"Ukraine must win the war and the perpetrators of crimes of aggression and war must stand trial," Sutt said. "It is in the interests of the whole free world that concrete agreements are reached at the NATO Vilnius summit on Ukraine's accession path to NATO membership."

The parties discussed the wider impacts of this war of aggression and concluded that the war against Ukraine was a war against us all.

"Interparliamentary relations play a crucial role in ensuring that the allied space remains strong," said Sutt, who is also the chair of the Estonia-Germany parliamentary group.

The Germany-Baltic friendship group of the German Bundestag includes Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (Free Democratic Party), Bettina Hagedorn (Social Democratic Party), Markus Grubel (Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union in Bavaria), Hanna Steinmuller (Alliance 90/The Greens), and Gereon Bollmann (Alternative for Germany).