Foreign Minister Paet in Riga: We Must Use Crises and Come Out Stronger
23.10.2009
At the foreign and security policy conference that took place in
Riga today, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet emphasised that the strategic
position of Northern European nations in the world is better now than
it ever has been earlier. “Our common challenge is to co-operate
closely and come out the global crisis stronger than we were before,”
said Paet.
Paet mentioned that Estonia and the Baltic nations are
participating, for the first time in history, in the formulation of a
new NATO strategic concept through their common representative.
“Estonia’s strategic feeling of security has not wavered due to the
economic crisis. For example, we are actively participating in the
formulation of NATO’s new strategic concept,” said Paet. “In addition,
we will soon be joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) and we are close to meeting the Maastricht criteria
and joining the euro-zone,” he asserted.
Paet emphasised that energy security issues are strategically
important to all nations in the Northern European region. “There is no
doubt that in the interest of future energy security, we must make an
effort to unite the Nordic and Baltic energy markets and work out the
necessary infrastructure,” Paet noted. “One factor that would
facilitate the common energy market is the completion of the Estlink 2
connection between Estonia and Finland,” he added.
Paet stressed that the anticipated approval of the Strategy for the
Baltic Sea States in the European Council this week give the nations in
the Baltic Sea region an excellent starting point for even more focused
and co-ordinated co-operation. “In a changing world, we must adapt to
new challenges in order to ensure economic development, social
well-being, and security. Now is exactly the right time to set future
goals and be open to finding new opportunities and taking advantage of
them,” said Paet.
During the Riga conference, there was a panel focused on strategic
reassurance in Northern Europe that included Estonian Foreign Minister
Urmas Paet and Latvian Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, Luxembourgish
Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, acting director of the Brussels branch
of the German Marshall Fund Ronald Asmus, senior analyst of the Swedish
Defence Research Agency Rober Daisjö, and senior researcher of the
Danish Institute for International Studies Pertti L. Joenniemi.
The high-level international conference in Riga entitled “Economic
Recovery in a Changing Security Environment: Transatlantic Agenda 2010”
is taking place for the fourth time and is this time focusing on
regional economic development and issues related to the effects of a
changing security environment.
