“France is a strategic partner for Estonia, and our defence cooperation has increased significantly over the past ten years. Our defence forces have participated in several joint international missions, and France makes an important contribution to the NATO battlegroup stationed in Estonia. Russia is a long-term threat to European security, and the deepening of defence cooperation between Estonia and France demonstrates the Allies’ readiness to jointly strengthen the eastern flank of the Alliance and deter Russia,” said Minister of Defence Pevkur.
Joint declaration in English: https://kaitseministeerium.ee/sites/default/files/documents/2026-06/Joint%20declaration%20between%20France%20and%20Estonia%2015.06.2026.pdf
Photos, please credit the French and Estonian ministries of defence respectively, as indicated in the photo descriptions: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCWQyW
Background information:
- Defence cooperation between Estonia and France is close both bilaterally and within international organisations and cooperation formats. Estonia has engaged in direct military cooperation with France in Mali from 2018 to 2022 as part of Operation Barkhane, as well as within the framework of EU and UN missions.
- France has contributed to the NATO battlegroup stationed in Estonia since 2017, and since 2021 French units have been permanently deployed at Tapa Base, Estonia. In addition, the UK reinforcement brigade assigned to Estonia is supported by a French battalion.
- France has participated in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission from Estonia's Ämari Air Base in 2018, 2020 and 2022, and has also participated on several occasions from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania.
- Among the French-made weapon systems used by the Estonian Defence Forces are CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and Mistral air defence systems.
- France is also a very close partner of Estonia in cyber defence, where the two countries exchange technical information and participate in each other’s exercises.
