Nestor: Estonia hopes to see a successful Ukraine

TALLINN - Speaker of the Estonian parliament Eiki Nestor said at a meeting with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko on Monday that Estonia hoped to see a successful Ukraine and confirmed support for sanctions against Russia as long as the Kremlin did not fulfill the Minsk agreements.

"We hope we shall one day see a successful Ukraine. The way there is complicated, but if the people of Ukraine want it and the politicians of Ukraine stick to the reform policy, it can be achieved," the speaker of the Riigikogu said.

He urged the Riigikogu of Estonia and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to cooperate closely in enhancing parliamentarianism and democratic processes, as well as in continuing the reforms to modernize the economy and promote the rule of law.

Nestor assured the president of Ukraine that first Russia would have to fulfill the Minsk agreements and only then could the easing or abolishing of the sanctions against Russia be discussed.

"Estonia is among those countries who consider it important to give continuous and extensive support to Ukraine that keeps itself on the democratic course of reforms. One part of it will be to end Russia's hostile activities in East Ukraine and to fulfill the Minsk agreements," Nestor said. "Before this, it is not possible to start discussing abolition or easing of sanctions against Russia. Ukraine must have the possibility to restore control over its territory."

The European Union had demonstrated impressive unity in its response to the violation of international law by Russia, Nestor remarked.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker Taavi Roivas, chairman of the standing National Defense Committee Hannes Hanso and head of the Estonia-Ukraine parliamentary group Johannes Kert.