"I also thank you for your efforts in supporting Ukraine, including in restoring grain exports," Ratas said.

The speaker was hosting the Grand National Assembly of Turkey's foreign affairs committee, on an official visit to the Riigikogu Tuesday.

Ratas also took the opportunity to underline the importance of Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO.

The matter was discussed at a meeting with the foreign affairs committees of both countries, while chair of the Riigikogu's committee Andres Sutt (Reform) said both countries' joining the allience was key to ensuring security in Estonia's region.

This made it important that the accession process reached a result as soon as possible, as a joint effort from all parties, Sutt added, according to a Riigikogu press release.

Turkey is one of two countries (the other being Hungary) which has yet to ratify Finland and Sweden's membership; Ankara has demanded the extradition of what it calls Kurdish terrorists incarcerated in the two Nordic countries, while an arms embargo Finland and Sweden have continued to place on Turkey is another of several factors blamed for the impasse.

Ratas also thanked Turkey for its military presence and contribution in the Baltic States and Poland, where the country's air force, the Türk Hava Kuvvetleri, has taken part in NATO air policing duties.

Bilateral relations remained "excellent", and the two countries were strong allies within NATO, Ratas added.

Russian aggression in Ukraine, just across the Black Sea from Turkey, as well as the situation in Iran and Syria were also on the table at Tuesday's meeting.

The meeting was attended by Grand National Assembly of Turkey foreign affairs committee chair Akif Çagatay Kilic and Turkish colleagues, as well as Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski (Center), Eerik-Niiles Kross (Reform), Marko Mihkelson (Reform) and Indrek Saar (SDE) – all members of the Riigikogu's foreign affairs committee.

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