Kaljulaid to Grybauskaitė: Work in ensuring security will never be finished
During a visit to Estonia by Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, President Kersti Kaljulaid said that Estonia and Lithuania's security cooperation is very important, however their work in this field would never be finished.
Kaljulaid said at a state dinner held at Kõltsu Manor in honor of Grybauskaitė on Monday evening that Estonia and Lithuania view the world around them in a fairly similar way — including both threats and what needs to be done to reduce and control them.
"Close cooperation in the security field has always been very important in our bilateral relations," Kaljulaid said. "By working together and supporting each other even in the most difficult times, we have achieved success in ensuring our security. At the same time, we must admit that our work in this field is not finished and will never be finished."
The Estonian president recalled Grybauskaitė's words from their meeting in Vilnius last fall, that while Estonia and Lithuania do not have large armies, their countries were strong thanks to courage and resilience.
"Agreeing with you completely, I'd add that we are strong also thanks to our cooperation," Kaljulaid continued. "We are stronger working together than acting individually — it's as simple as that."
Kaljulaid added that Estonia and Lithuania were close not only in their actions, but also their views and values. "The world around us is fickle and unpredicable," she said. "We see how countries and their leaders are abandoning the old rules and moving away from their values. We see attempts to split the EU and NATO and drive a wedge between our countries. Our response cannot be anything other than even closer values-based cooperation."
Editor: Aili Vahtla