On Sunday 15th October 2006, the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jürgen Ligi, will travel to the People’s Republic of China, where he will meet with the Chinese Defence Minister, Mr. Cao Gagchuan, and the Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Ninth Nati
The aim of the visit is to strengthen bilateral relations both in the sphere of political/economic and defence-related co-operation.
To date, defence co-operation between Estonia and China has been modest and irregular. Among the most outstanding has been the Chinese Armed Forces’ participation in the Erna Raid from 1998 to 2005. In 2002, the Chinese teams came first and second in the Erna Raid, one of the world’s most difficult military competitions.
Mr. Jürgen Ligi’s is the first high-level visit to China since the visit of former Defence Minister, Mr. Andrus Öövel, in the summer of 1998.