Estonian president discusses world politics with US secretary of state

18.04.2008

Ilves and Rice talked about results of the NATO Bucharest summit, the course of military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, developments in Georgia and Russia and about issues of energy and cybersecurity, the president's spokesman informed BNS.

Ilves and Rice stated that the results of the NATO summit could be regarded as positive in their general outline and Ilves expressed pleasure over the firm accession outlook given to Ukraine and Georgia.

"Estonia can be regarded as an advice-giving friend of Georgia. It is our role to share with that country the experience of reforming our state on the road to democracy and I am pleased to recognize Georgia for its achievements until the present," Ilves said.

Speaking about the mission in Iraq, Ilves underlined the need of continued bilateral cooperation in military operations. "In extending the mandate of Estonia's mission in Iraq a considerably more serious debate can be presumed both in our parliament as well as in the society as a whole, and we therefore expect a clear vision of the United States about the future of Estonia's participation in Iraq," Ilves said.

Touching on the operation in Afghanistan Condoleezza Rice thanked Estonia for its outstanding contribution.

President Ilves underlined that NATO must not become the loser in Afghanistan, and therefore regarded as important the unity displayed vis a vis to Afghanistan at the Bucharest summit.

Both Rice and Ilves admitted the need to apply more extensive civilian measures in Afghanistan.

"Estonia is actively working in the name of Afghanistan remaining among the central foreign policy issues of the European Union," Ilves said.

Concerning developments in Russia Rice expressed the hope that the forthcoming change of power would bring positive developments in domestic policy.

President Ilves said that in the dimension of Russian and EU relations it was necessary to proceed from the common interests of all the 27 member countries and not send a signal of a split in the views of the community.

In the framework of the energy security issue raised at the meeting both the parties stated that energy security was a common concern of the United States and the European Union and that as a result it must be an inseparable part of strategic energy cooperation.

The Estonian president also gave to the EU secretary of state an overview of the current state of affairs in the development of the cyberdefense center and thanked the United States for its active participation.

President Ilves underlined that cross-border cyberattacks and cyberterrorism were a harsh reality to fight which both the European Union and NATO needed a strong and unitary legal basis.

In the framework of his working visit to Washington the Estonian president will also have meetings with Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried and US Vice-President Richard B. Cheney.

Friday evening President Ilves will open a high-level reception given by the Baltic Fund in the United States.

Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8863, sise@bns.ee