Estonia is ready to pre-position the heavy military equipment of a mechanized battalion if Allies decide to do it, Defence Minister Sven Mikser said at a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter.
“The Estonian Government has allocated 40 million euros to improve the conditions for Allied troops in Estonia,“ Mikser said in a meeting with Carter at the Estonian Ministry of Defence today. “We will develop better training opportunities for the Allies and establish the necessary infrastructure for the pre-positioning of the heavy military equipment of a mechanized battalion in Estonia.”
Mikser and Carter also discussed the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian request to NATO to reinforce the permanent allied presence in the region. “We would welcome a battalion-sized presence in each Baltic country or a dedicated heavy brigade for the whole region,” Mikser said.
“Together with the pre-positioned equipment, persistent presence of that scale would send a sufficiently strong message to any potential aggressor,” he added.
Mikser thanked Carter and the United States government and military for all the support Estonia has received especially during the last year when the defence cooperation between the two countries has been closer than ever.
Secretary Carter thanked Estonia for supporting the fight against ISIL and for a long-term commitment in the NATO ISAF mission in Afghanistan. He also commended Estonia for spending 2% of GDP on national defence.
U.S. Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter is on an official visit to Estonia today. He will meet Estonian Minister of Defence Sven Mikser and have a working lunch with the Lithuanian Minister of Defence Juozas Olekas and the Permanent Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Defence Jānis Sārts.
The ministers will also hold a press conference and take part of a wreath laying ceremony at the War of Independence Victory Column.
Secretary Carter will also meet the President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves and the Prime Minister of Estonia Taavi Rõivas and visit the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.
Tomorrow, Mikser and Carter will leave for Brussels for the NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting. The focus of the meeting will be the implementation of NATO Readiness Action Plan and longer term adaptation of the Alliance within the changed security environment.
A photo gallery of the U.S. Secretary of Defence visit to Estonia: http://pildid.mil.ee/USA-kaitseminister-Ashton-Carteri-Eesti-visiit-23-0...
For further information:
Artur Jugaste
Deputy Director of Stratcom, Estonian Ministry of Defence
+372 717 0137 / +372 585 40355
[email protected]