Estonian minister: EU, NATO must work closely in missions

19.11.2007

TALLINN, Nov 19, BNS - The European Union and NATO must cooperate in missions more closely than they have been doing until now, Estonia's Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo said on Monday.

"Low level of cooperation in mission areas may render useless the efforts to achieve success made so far," Aaviksoo was quoted by spokespeople as saying after a EU defense ministers meeting in Brussels. "Now we must think seriously how to improve the situation," he said.

At the defense ministers meeting cooperation between the EU and NATO in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in the context of the operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo was talked about, among other things.

The ministers found during the working session dealing with missions that the EU's military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina must continue as long as the security situation requires it.

A bill that passed its first reading in the Estonian parliament last week would extend until the end of next year the use of Estonian defense forces personnel in the international peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by the armed forces of the European Union, at the same time cutting the number of Estonian personnel to five.

Also held on Monday was a meeting of the steering committee of the European Defense Agency, which approved the framework of the European research and technology (R&T) strategy in defense.

The goal of the guidelines is to boost international cooperation in order to cut redundancy and isolation.

Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8861, sise@bns.ee