NATO to back Estonia's allies reception construction with €40 million
Estonia will be receiving €40 million from NATO common funds toward the construction of infrastructure intended for the reception of allied troops, Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said Thursday.
"We've been approved in the corridors of NATO for €40 million, which will be possible to use within the [NATO Security Investment Program] NSIP for the construction of infrastructure," Pevkur said at Thursday's government press conference.
He acknowledged that Estonia has pledged to cover the expenses involved in receiving allies, but considering the country's total defense investment needs and Estonia's resource limitations, the government has also promised to find external funding to cover these reception costs.
"If you look at everything we have to do in connection with our allies, then the agreement reached at the Vilnius summit means that allies' presence in Estonia will definitely have a bigger footprint both temporarily as well as permanently," the defense minister explained, adding that it's precisely temporary presence that requires quite a lot of infrastructure.
"This involves aircraft hangars, technical equipment shelters, building a barracks at Ämari [Air Base], building barracks, garages and shelters for additional units at Tapa [Amy Base], where we also have to renovate the canteen, and as we know, Nursipalu is under construction as well," he said, listing needed work that this newly allocated NATO funding will go toward.
Pevkur likewise announced that following a successful public procurement, the state signed a €21 million contract with Mapri Ehitus for the construction of the reception area at the Estonian Defense Forces' (EDF) Nursipalu Training Area.
The Estonian Center for Defense Investments (ECDI) has reached an agreement with four landowners in Nursipalu, Southern Estonia, in connection with six forested properties, he reported, adding that seven kilometers of the Nursipalu thoroughfare have already been completed as well.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla