Estonia prioritizing foreign affairs, security, and defense issues in EU

Foreign affairs, security and defense issues will be at the heart of Estonia's EU priorities between 2023-2025, the government agreed.
This includes enhanced crisis readiness, and effective border and migration policies.
"They include the EU's decisions to supply the Ukrainians with a million artillery shells, to confer candidate country status on both Ukraine and Moldova and to set a price cap on crude oil from Russia," Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) said in a statement.
"Our visibility and our influence grow when we think big, take an innovative approach to situations and can get other Member States' support for our initiatives."
Due to the security situation, the EU's crisis readiness should be boosted to increase its defensive capabilities and "guarantee a combat-effective Europe" Kallas said.

"There are areas in which the EU economy depends on third countries, such as certain technologies and natural resources. We must work to ensure that the union can rely on itself and trusted partners in those areas," she said.
The government approved Estonia's European Union policy priorities for 2023-2025 last week.
The framework document sets out the government's main aims and the principles it will be guided by in shaping its policy towards and defending its interests within the EU.
Other important areas include sustainable development and competitiveness, for example green and digital transitions and energy security, health, buildings and connections, and the principles of open governance and the personalized state.
Kallas said Estonia also supports "the step-by-step integration of the economies of the candidate countries into the single market".
In the coming period, with EU support, Estonia will continue to invest in its energy security, implementing the synchronization of the Baltic electricity networks with the frequency area of Central Europe as soon as possible and continuing to develop offshore wind energy.
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Editor: Helen Wright