Foreign Minister Paet Met with Javier Solana and Strobe Talbott
08.04.2010
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet met with president of the USA think tank the Brookings Institution and former American under secretary of state Strobe Talbott and former foreign policy leader of the European Union Javier Solana to discuss Estonia’s activities in NATO and the European Union and developments in Russia, Ukraine and Georgia.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Strobe Talbott’s work as an important creator of American foreign policy during the presidency of Bill Clinton set a foundation for Estonia and many other nations to join NATO. “Now, as a member of NATO and the European Union, Estonia has become a strong supporter of extending of the values of these organisations,” said Paet. “We feel it is especially important to share our experiences with acceding states. Estonia and other like-minded nations are attempting to support the European Union’s Eastern Partners and keep them in focus. Within the framework of these endeavours, we plan to establish an Eastern Partnership training centre at Tallinn’s Estonian School of Diplomacy,” said Foreign Minister Paet. Paet noted that co-operation and exchanging ideas with various think tanks, including the experts at the Brookings Institute, will certainly be helpful for the establishment of the training centre.
Another topic discussed was European Union-USA co-operation. According to Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, close co-operation between the European Union and the USA is the basis for stability, economic growth, and lasting development in the Euro-Atlantic region. “The partnership between the European Union and the USA differs from all others due to the unique closeness of its values and interests,” said Paet. “Estonia supports EU-USA co-operation becoming more effective though practical and co-ordinated activities, primarily in the areas of energy, interior and justice matters, development co-operation, and various regional issues,” the foreign minister added.
Relations with Russia were also discussed at the meeting. In talking about NATO-Russia relations, Paet and Talbott acknowledged that relations with Russia must be discussed regularly within the alliance so that the alliance can be unified in its positions. “The topic of NATO-Russia relations will also be one of the topics discussed within the framework of the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting being held in Tallinn,” Paet noted.
“In the near future we will be joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, where in addition to participating in the expert experiences and analyses of other countries, we can also share our own reform experiences on an even wider scale,” Paet said. At the meeting, Foreign Minister Paet also emphasised Estonia’s efforts and desire to fulfil all the criteria to join the euro zone on 1 January 2011.
Talbott and Solana recognised Estonia for its success thus far in international organisations and in coming to terms with the economic crisis.
