Today, in Brussels, Minister of Defence Jüri Luik took part in the meeting of European Union Defence Ministers to discuss cooperation between the European Union and NATO, the activities of the European Defence Agency and questions concerning the European Union's military missions and operations. Luik also met with his colleagues from Belgium and the Northern Group.
According to Minister of Defence Jüri Luik, NATO has played a key role in ensuring Europe’s security for the last 70 years, and the transatlantic bond will remain a cornerstone for Europe’s security in the future. ‘We must be very precise when we use terms such as European army, since terms such as these, which can be understood in more than one way, may damage the transatlantic relations,' Luik said.
Today’s session, which took place with the participation of the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, focused in great part on transatlantic relations in light of the latest international developments. Both the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security, Policy Federica Mogherini and Stoltenberg admitted that the European Union's various defence related initiatives must serve to strengthen the transatlantic bond.
Minister of Defence Luik also met with Sander Loones, the new Belgian Defence Minister to thank him for the decision made last week to deploy a Belgian armoured manoeuvre troops to Estonia next year. At the invitation of Danish Minister of Defence, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, the Ministers of Northern countries discussed enhancing the combat of hybrid threats.
At yesterday’s joint meeting of defence and foreign ministers, the ministers approved 17 new PESCO projects, including the Estonian-led unmanned land-based systems project.