Rasmussen acknowledged the way Estonia has fulfilled the duties it has taken in NATO – increased its defence expenditure to two per cent of gross domestic product and contributed to the Afghanistan mission.
When discussing the challenges facing NATO, both sides emphasised the importance of keeping their promises and promoting smart defence. The prerequisite of the latter is to carry out jointly agreed upon programmes such as the ground surveillance capability, which will also be a separate topic at the Meeting of NATO Defence Ministers.
In addition, Rasmussen supported the Baltic air policing mission, saying that it is a very good example of smart defence. The Secretary of General hopes that this will be one of the topics at the Chicago summit.
Laar and Rasmussen also discussed issues related to cyber defence and the Estonian suggestions for moving forward in the field of cyber defence. Rasmussen acknowledged Estonia’s action in the field of cyber defence and considered it important to seriously discuss the suggestions Estonia has made.
According to the Minister of Defence, the message of the Secretary General of NATO, about finding a solution to the future of the Baltic air policing, is very important for Estonia.
“If we succeed in taking specific steps for our defence, it is a prerequisite for the provision of aid. Ensuring air policing gives us a better opportunity to deal with our primary defence capability. In this aspect, it is indeed a smart defence policy,” said Laar.
Additional information:
Rauno Veri
Adviser to the Minister of Defence
5340 8908
