On September 24 Estonian-French political-military talks will start in the Ministry of Defence. The consultations will concentrate on analyzing the bilateral activities of the previous year, also the bilateral Co-operation plan for 2003 will be signed.
The two-day-long negotiations will focus on Estonian-French bilateral co-operation as well as defence co-operation issues and developments in the Baltic region. Special emphasis will be laid on security problems in Europe and in the world as a whole.
On Wednesday the French delegation will visit Ämari Airbase and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the meeting with the Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry Harry Tiido will take place.
In the afternoon the guests will have a meeting with the Chairman of the Parliament’s National Defence Committee Tiit Tammsaar and the Chief of EDF General Staff Col Alar Laneman.
The French delegation will leave Estonia on Thursday evening.
Estonian-French defence co-operation:
The Estonian-French political-military co-operation frame agreement was signed in May, 1994. Still, bilateral defence co-operation dates back to earlier times, to the year 1991. The French Military Attaché was the first of the foreign attaché’s who was accredited in Estonia.
France participates in three Baltic co-operation projects: Baltic Battalion (BALTBAT), Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) and Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL).
Although the co-operation with France is not as active as for example with the Scandinavian countries, United Kingdom or Germany, it is important from the political aspect.
The support of France to EDF was more prominent at the early stage of the co-operation, between 1992-93 in the form of military uniforms and logistics materiel. At the present stage of co-operation the French side has concentrated on the French language teaching projects in EDF. One French logistics lecturer is continuously teaching at the Baltic Defence College, the college has also got material support from France.
The co-operation plan for 2002 which was confirmed during the previous political-military talks in 2001, Paris contained 14 bilateral activities.