Yesterday, Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet and Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets signed an agreement to promote cooperation in foreign and security policy in the area of government between the two ministries.
‘We cooperate very closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; however, considering the current security situation, we would like to further strengthen ties in implementing and introducing the goals of the country’s foreign policy, security and national defence, both domestically and internationally,’ said Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet.
For example, a rotation of civil servants between the two ministries has been taking place for many years, where employees of one ministry can apply their professional skills and experience and also acquire experience in the area of government of the other ministry. The aim of the cooperation agreement is to promote recruitment, in order to bring greater expertise to the two areas.
‘Taking a look at the developments in our security environment, it is important to constantly think about how to be prepared to respond in the best possible manner to traditional and newly emerging challenges. Therefore, it is important to notice those areas where we can further intensify normal cooperation between different state agencies and complement each other’s activities in the best possible way,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets.
Cooperation will also take place in research and development related to dual-use and cyberspace technologies and in the establishment of relevant cooperation networks.
‘We intend to find ways to grow the exports of the Estonian defence industry and use the opportunities offered by business diplomacy to support Estonian companies in foreign markets. In order to strengthen cyber defence, we want to increase cooperation in the areas of research and development and in creating the corresponding cooperation networks,’ noted Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets.
A joint contribution to research and development will begin, in order to build our capacity to strengthen security. In this way, the critical research problems in the field of foreign policy, security and national defence will be identified together, and common opportunities will be sought for ordering analyses from research and development institutions in the future.
The agreement also aims to develop the defence industry and increase exports by supporting Estonian companies in foreign markets. To do so, undertakings will be included in business delegations that are part of high-level visits, and we will help build relationships and network at trade fairs.
There are several other points of cooperation between the two ministries in the fields of information security, information and communication technologies, as well as the monitoring and protection of national defence objects. Cooperation is also taking place in the areas of procurement, staffing, legislation and the drafting of international agreements.
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