At a meeting with his Finnish colleague on Friday, Mikser emphasized the importance of the long-term and close friendship between the two countries during Estonia's upcoming EU presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The foreign ministers emphasized the importance of close cooperation between the EU and the United States, including in the field of security and trade, and discussed cooperation in matters topical in the EU in the context of the Estonian EU presidency. "We wish for successful cooperation with Finland, who has been a supportive partner to us in many difficult questions, also during the presidency. We both wish to see a strong, decisive and united European Union, which will work closely together and have close relations with the United Kingdom also after Brexit," Mikser said.

The foreign ministers spoke about the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. "This regrettable decision will not change the course of the EU or the rest of the world. Climate change is our joint concern and this is why we must deal with the problem together," Mikser said, adding that the topic of climate change is one of Estonia's priorities during the EU presidency.

The ministers also spoke about strengthening the common EU security and defense policy, including the capability to deal with cyber threats. "Finland has taken the initiative in this by establishing the European center of excellence for combating cyber threats in Helsinki. We have decided to join the center and will do it shortly," Mikser said.

In connection with Russia, the ministers spoke about the situation in Ukraine and Syria.
The economies of Estonia and Finland are closely intertwined, Mikser said, adding that there are still also untapped opportunities. "IT cooperation and developing energy and transport interconnections would create new inspiring opportunities for our citizens and businesses," the Estonian minister said.

Mikser pointed out the importance of Balticconnector for the development of the gas market.

In addition, the ministers spoke about matters related to the Rail Baltic project.
With its multitude of events, the celebration of "Estonia-Finland 200" will bring the two countries and peoples closer to each other still, Mikser said. The celebration of the centenary of the Republic of Finland in Estonia will culminate in Finland Day in Tallinn on June 10.