On his week-long visit to the USA, which started on Monday, Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur has so far met with members of the local Senate and House of Representatives in the states of Illinois and Iowa to discuss the security situation as seen from the Eastern Flank of NATO and to discuss support for Ukraine in Russia’s war of aggression.
“Although there is an ocean between the USA and Europe, we live in a shared value space. One where we value freedom, democracy and the rule of law, which allow us to live in a society that supports self-fulfilment. When we also take into account our economic ties, it is clear that our security is a shared responsibility. That is why we must continue to support Ukraine together to protect our societies,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
“As the US is NATO’s largest member, communication and our mutual understanding with American citizens and their representatives is now more important than ever. I am glad to see strong support here for Ukraine and for the defence of NATO’s Eastern Flank, but I’m also pleased about the opportunity to discuss some viewpoints that are not as obvious here as they are for us in Estonia,” Pevkur added.
In Iowa, the Minister of Defence met with Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Governor Kim Reynolds and members of the Iowa Legislature International Relations Committee.
Defence Minister Pevkur also met with representatives of defence industry in both states, such as LMT in Eldridge, which manufactures weapons for the Estonian Defence Forces, and IBM, Motorola and Corteva in Chicago, to introduce Estonia as an excellent business environment and investment destination.
“Estonia’s developing defence industry and the defence industrial park we are establishing are of interest to US companies, as there are many areas of potential cooperation. Moreover, US companies are very good potential partners for developing the defence industry in our region,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
In addition, the Minister of Defence talked about defence thinking along NATO’s Eastern Flank at Grinnell College, Augustana College and Northwestern University as well as with the local media.
On Thursday and Friday, the Minister of Defence will be in Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress, speak at Georgetown University and the Center for European Policy Analysis, meet with the Georgetown University’s Ukrainian Society, and present the decorations of the Ministry of Defence to US military personnel, officials and civil society representatives who have made significant contributions to Estonia’s security.
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Photos: Defence Minister visiting the USA (7-12.04.2024) | Flickr