Estonian PM: Estonian-Finnish cooperation this winter more important than before

  • 2022-10-04
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN – Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said at her meeting with visiting Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Tallinn on Tuesday that cooperation between the two countries in ensuring energy security will be even more important in the coming winter than in the past.

"Never before has our common security been as important as it is today, when Russia is attempting to annex territory belonging to Ukraine and threatening the whole world," Kallas said, adding that we must do everything for this war to end, for Russia to return to its borders and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

"We have already done much, but we must do even more and go all the way -- to a victory defined by Ukraine. Ukraine's success on the battlefield shows that we are on the right track and must increase our military, economic and moral support for Ukraine," the premier said.

Kallas said that the horrors seen in the territories liberated by Ukraine, such as the city of Izyum, reveal the face of the Russian occupation, its crimes and horrors.

She also praised Finland for the recent decision to close its borders to Russian citizens traveling for tourism. 

"Cooperation between Estonia and Finland in ensuring energy security will be even more important in the coming winter than before. We will work together to ensure that we have enough electricity, certainty, and secure connections," the prime minister said after the meeting.

"The joint LNG floating terminal of Estonia and Finland is an important milestone in ensuring the security of supply, and we will also work together to meet the offshore wind energy goals agreed between the Baltic Sea states in August. I am glad that we are on the same page with Finland  that saving energy and consuming sensibly will help us through the winter, bring us closer to meeting the climate targets, and we are using similar measures to reduce consumption," she said.

According to the prime minister, the recent Nord Stream explosions also demonstrate how important regional cooperation is for both energy security and security in general.

"The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will significantly increase the security and defense capabilities of the Baltic Sea region and the entire alliance. Soon we will be sitting together as allies at one table. Finland was an important support for us in building our defense capabilities after regaining independence. Now Estonia is ready to share its experience to ensure that Finland and Sweden integrate into NATO as quickly as possible," Kallas added.