US and Estonian Defense Leaders Meet
On a visit to Washington, Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo is meeting on December 3 with US Secretary of State Robert Gates.
"I am happy that these meetings have become regular and that we can, in a fairly open and mutually comprehensible manner, discuss the fields in which Estonia can support the alliance,“ Aaviksoo told ETV.
The defense minister said much of the conversation will focus on cyber defense, a big topic in light of this week's Wikileaks affair, an extensive security breach that would not be possible without the advent of information sharing and archiving through computer systems. The incident demonstrated the fragility of even the most powerful country's reputation and international relations.
"[Wikileaks] proves that cyber security is a serious problem. Sure, we can be happy over the large amount of information we've attained, but we should also understand that this has diminished the trust of many people on a national level," said Aaviksoo.
"Perhaps people will think twice now before saying something because they can't be sure that their partner's communications are trustworthy and that their correspondence will remain confidential."
US-Estonia relations are healthy, said the Minister of Defense, and diplomats of the two countries can speak frankly with one another.