Estonian and Finnish ministers meet to discuss migration crisis
The Estonian and Finnish Ministers of the Interior met in Tallinn on Tuesday to discuss the two countries’ cooperation in dealing with the migration crisis, and to find common positions regarding the matter.
Estonian Interior Minister Hanno Pevkur said after meeting his Finnish colleague Petteri Orpo that Estonia had a lot to learn from how Finland coped with its sudden increase in refugee numbers.
“Finland has displayed the ability to quickly adapt, and the ability to deal with a large number of refugees,” Pevkur was quoted by spokespeople. “Since the Finns are still having a tough time despite their good work, we agree that the solution to the migration crisis in fact lies in regaining control over the European external border and Turkey's actions. On a political level we've adopted the necessary decisions in Europe, and now we have to implement the decisions as quickly as possible,” he added.
The ministers also discussed other topics, like setting up an European border agency, the changes to the Estonian Firearms Directive, and guaranteeing an exchange of information between the two countries. The ministers recognized that they agree on most positions, and that the cooperation between the two countries is very good.
Pevkur further stated that relations between Estonia and Finland were traditionally good, but that they still found ways to improve the situation. As an example, Pevkur mentioned the improved information exchange of the countries’ population registers. He also said that Finland and Estonia agreed that to better spotlight their positions in Europe, it would be reasonable to synchronize their positions with all the Baltic and Nordic countries.