Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet met in Poland with Estonian servicemen from task force Wisent-5, the last Estonian contingent to complete service at the Polish border.
The Minister of Defence met with platoon commander Lieutenant Colonel Marko Land, Captain Viktor Bubnov and other representatives of the contingent to receive an overview of Wisent-5’s service and experiences over the past month.
The Minister of Defence thanked the Wisent-5 combatants, along with all of the Estonian servicemen and members of the Defence League district who have served in Poland over the previous five months, for their exemplary service.
‘Your work has resulted not only in the erection of dozens of kilometres of border barriers and a large number of improved roads and bridges, but also in significantly closer cooperation and friendship between Estonia and Poland,’ said Laanet.
According to Laanet, his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak, once again thanked Estonia yesterday, at Ramstein, for its swift and effective assistance in the hybrid crisis that erupted last autumn and was orchestrated by Belarusian dictator Lukashenko.
‘This will help deepen defence cooperation between Estonia and Poland, the importance of which cannot be underestimated in the current security situation. Estonian servicemen have also increased Estonia’s reputation and visibility among ordinary Poles. Thank you for making Estonia greater and Europe safer!’ added Laanet.
The Wisent-5 task force was mainly composed of members of the Western Territorial Defence District. As of December 2021, a total of five Estonian task forces, most of which were manned by members of the Estonian Defence League and reserves, have served at the invitation of Poland in boundary construction.
Minister of Defence Laanet also visited the Estonian Embassy, in Warsaw, where the Deputy Head of Mission Marit Maks and Estonian Defence Attaché Lieutenant Colonel Artur Lillenurm gave an overview of the Embassy’s activities, the latest developments in Poland, and the reform plans of the Polish Armed Forces.
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/gp/kaitseministeerium_mod_estonia/e9R415
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