Monday, 10 September 2007 11:29
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who was on an official visit to the Kingdom of Denmark, met Friday with Christian Mejdahl, Speaker of the Danish Parliament, and Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
At the meeting with Prime Minister, transatlantic cooperation between the European Union and the United States was discussed at length, especially in the fields of energy security and climate preservation. President Ilves affirmed that Estonia and Denmark share a common understanding regarding these questions.
“The European Union is strong when its relations with the United States are strong,” said the Estonian Head of State, agreeing with the Danish Prime Minister, who stressed the need for a transatlantic free trade agreement, “We share common values on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, why not also unite our forces.”
Speaking about energy security, both President Ilves and Prime Minister Rasmussen stated that reliable cooperation is important, along with a guarantee of independence from unstable energy suppliers. In this connection, we must also arrive at the implementation of new directions for climate preservation and renewable energy. “The liberalization of energy markets and their opening to competition must be regarded as preconditions,” noted the Estonian Head of State.
President Ilves affirmed Estonia’s wish to continue defense cooperation, which has functioned successfully to date, to the Danish Prime Minister. “The contribution of Denmark has been notable, for example, in the development of the Baltic Defense College, which is today attended by young people from many countries. Estonia has also cooperated closely with Denmark both bilaterally as well as in international missions,” said the Estonian Head of State.
Issues of cybersecurity were also dealt with. “Cyberattacks, which at one time may have seems more like science fiction, have today become a real threat in our everyday lives. This type of cross-border crime can only be confronted by international cooperation,” stressed President Ilves and invited Denmark to actively participate in the establishment of the NATO cybersecurity competence center in Tallinn.
Many issues were under discussion at the meeting between President Ilves and Danish Parliament Speaker Christian Mejdahl, including the European Union Constitutional Treaty, the Community’s relations with Russia, and cybersecurity topics. “Clearly, common steps must be planned for repulsing and preventing cyberattacks, and a clear legislative framework must be designed,” President Ilves stressed at the meeting with the Speaker of the Danish Parliament.
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