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President Ilves on an official visit to Denmark: we are kindred spirits and brothers in arms
05.11.2015
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves who arrived in the Kingdom of Denmark for an official visit described Estonia and Denmark as close kindred spirits and brothers in arms.
"Voluntary Danish fighters in the Estonian War of Independence, your support for the expansion of the European Union and NATO, our joint foreign missions from the Balkans to Afghanistan, Denmark as the first country to begin the air security mission in Ämari – we have shared views of both the surrounding security situations and other issues that influence Europe, including the migration crisis and admitting the importance of the IT sphere," announced President Ilves at his meeting with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
Prior to the meeting, President Ilves placed a wreath at the monument in Copenhagen in honour of the Danish soldiers killed in international missions.
In speaking about security issues, the Estonian Head of State suggested taking a wider look at the Baltic Sea region to gain a better insight into the situation: "Russian military planes have practiced attacking the Nordic countries; we have had to hear threats that have no place in the 21st century and see military drills taking place close to NATO's external borders; plus, of course, the annexation of Crimea and the support offered to anti-Ukrainian separatists. The period of calm that followed the Cold War is over. 2014 saw the beginning of the largest and as-yet unpredictable security crisis to directly affect the Trans-Atlantic space of values."
NATO's response to the situation includes the initial deterrence measures that were agreed upon last year at the Wales Summit; however, these need to be developed further at the upcoming Warsaw Summit, with the goal of ensuring a sense of protection for NATO in general and all the people it envelopes, told President Ilves.
As for the migration crisis, President Ilves and Prime Minister Rasmussen emphasised the importance of dealing with the countries of origin and more efficient control of the external borders of the European Union. This is also a reason why Estonia is about to deploy a Police and Border Guard Board unit of 25 members to Slovenia.
When speaking about the future of bilateral relations, he invited Denmark, a successful IT country, to work closely with Estonia, particularly in the sphere of IT and cyber defence.
"Let us focus on the establishment of a common European Union digital market and the implementation of cross-border digital solutions, initially within our region and in the European Union in general. We are both active in the sphere of cyber defence and cyber security; this is also an area in which we can pool our resources," told President Ilves.
Visible IT co-operation is also a step towards strengthening economic relations between Estonia and Denmark. President Ilves is accompanied by a business delegation that has scheduled meetings with Danish partners in Copenhagen. For Estonia, Denmark ranks tenth as an export market and sixth as a foreign investor.
Office of the President
Public Relations Department
