Minister of Defence Jüri Luik discussed the latest developments in Syria, the steps taken by Turkey in the region, and issues related to NATO´s operations and force generation at the two-day meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence, which began Thursday.
‘Turkey is an important Ally to NATO, and has its own security concerns in areas bordering Syria. At the same time, the Allies are clearly concerned about the latest steps taken by Turkey, since they have an impact on the Middle East and may also have a long term impact on Europe,’ Luik said, according to whom the re-emergence of Daesh is possible, in turn giving rise to the threat of terrorism against and migration pressure on Europe.
The Ministers of Defence also discussed issues related to the Afghanistan and Iraq missions. On the sidelines, the Defence Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania signed a renewed agreement on the joint air surveillance network and control system BALTNET, under which the functions of the existing command centre in Karmelava, Lithuania, will be performed by three national centres in the Baltic countries, with responsibility rotating between the three countries. The agreement also needs to be ratified by the Riigikogu before it can be put into practice.
In addition, the ministers of defence from the three Baltic countries also met with NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Tod Wolters, to discuss defence of the Baltic region.
Photos: www.flickr.com/photos/kaitseministeerium_mod_estonia/albums/72157711479479331 or
www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/photos_169919.htm
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