Estonian president to make work visit to Brussels, Paris

  • 2019-11-18
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN - Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid is scheduled to meet in Brussels on Monday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes, President-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President-elect of the European Council Charles Michel.

On Tuesday, the Estonian head of state will speak at Fortune Global Forum 2019 about Estonia's development into a digital society, spokespeople for the president said.

The meeting with the secretary general of NATO will focus on the upcoming meeting of leaders of NATO in London on Dec. 3-4. Estonia wishes the summit to deliver a clear message on the unity and solidarity of NATO. For Estonia, the implementation of agreements made at previous meetings is important, as this will mean updating defense plans and air defense issues. The security of the region will also be discussed.

The Three Seas Initiative summit, which is set to take place in Estonia on June 16-17 next year, will be discussed with the president-elect of the European Commission and the president-elect of the European Council. The priority issues of the new Commission, such as negotiations on the long-term EU budget for 2010-2027 and climate concerns will also be discussed.

At the meeting with the prime minister of Belgium, the two leaders will discuss bilateral relations, the upcoming meeting of NATO leaders in London, the agenda of the European Union and cooperation in the UN Security Council, as both Estonia and Belgium will take part in the Council's work in 2020.

Since 1995, the Fortune Global Forum has been hosted by the editors of Fortune in various major cities across the world. The forum creates a valuable opportunity for the CEOs of the world's biggest multinational companies and economic leaders to actively engage in discussions. The theme of the forum in Paris is "Action 2020: Reinventing for a New Decade," or challenges faced in the new decade starting in 2020.