Estonia's Riigikogu president, MPs on working visit to Ukraine
President of the Riigikogu and former Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Center) will visit Kyiv on Tuesday along with MPs to discuss the security situation in the region.
Ratas will be accompanied by Chair of Estonia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu Mati Raidma (Reform) and Riigikogu member and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa).
On Tuesday, the group will meet with Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Ukraine Jarno Habicht and lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and commemorate the victims of Holodomor.
On Wednesday, the delegation will visit the Administrative Border Line with Crimea to learn about the situation. They will also go to the port city Kherson, and meet with Head of Kherson Regional Council Oleksandr Samoilenko and Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine Anton Korynevych.
The main topics to be discussed at the meetings will be the security policy situation, bilateral relations and Estonia's support to Ukraine, relations with Russia, NATO and the European Union, as well as development cooperation and humanitarian aid.
Ratas will also give a speech at the digital development and digital services forum Diia Summit on Tuesday, where he will talk about Estonia's experience of digitalization. Estonia supports Ukraine in developing digital state services.
Russia has massed more than 100,000 troops and military equipment on the border of eastern Ukraine and experts believe a further invasion could occur in the coming weeks.
Estonia has offered weapons to Ukraine and, along with Germany, a new field hospital.
Ratas: "Ukraine, you will not be left alone"
During the first day of his visit, Ratas told his counterparts: "We make a promise to Ukraine: you will not be left alone [...] The consequences of any attempt to extend the invasion will be grave".
President of the @Riigikogu @ratasjuri is on an official visit to . "We make a promise to Ukraine: you will not be left alone. Our focus is on security issues. The consequences of any attempt to extend the invasion will be grave", said Jüri Ratas. pic.twitter.com/x0fL0vDBYI
— Estonia in Ukraine (@EE_Ukraine) February 8, 2022
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Editor: Helen Wright
