On 26 and 27 January, the Foreign Ministry’s Undersecretary for European Affairs Märt Volmer was in Paris where he and the foreign ministers of Latvia and Lithuania met with the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
The ministers made a joint statement, affirming their agreement on the need to pursue a coordinated approach between European Union member states with regard to national vaccination strategies and border controls. They welcomed the progress made towards the implementation of the European Recovery Plan and reiterated the importance of defence cooperation and transatlantic relations. They also discussed Russia, the Eastern Partnership, the situation in Belarus, Nagorno-Karabakh and Sahel, as well as relations with China.
Undersecretary Volmer highlighted that celebrating the establishment of diplomatic relations with France was an important milestone in the relations between the two countries. “The diplomatic relations of Estonia and France go back 100 years but recently we have reached a level of cooperation where, in addition to shared values and aims, we also support each other with practical contributions to address issues in Sahel and strengthen NATO’s deterrence,” Volmer said. “Thanks to the strategic partnership just signed between Estonia and France, covering areas such as EU and international cooperation, security and defence, digital economy and cybersecurity, the climate and the environment, education and research, culture and development cooperation, our cooperation will become more focused and mutually beneficial.”
Märt Volmer also had bilateral meetings with Clément Beaune, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, on 26 January, and with Alexandre Adam, the advisor on Europe of President Emmanuel Macron, on 27 January.
