Estonia to conduct first cyber defense exercise for EU defense ministers

As part of its EU presidency program, Estonia is organizing a strategic-level table-top exercise on cyber defense for EU defense ministers in Tallinn this September, the objective of which is to put ministers to the test in handling the aftermath of a cyberattack.
At his meeting with European Defence Agency (EDA) Chief Executive Jorge Domecq in Brussels this week, Minister of Defence Jüri Luik discussed how to apply conclusions drawn from the strategic-level table-top exercise in policy planning, according to a Ministry of Defence press release.
Luik hopes that the training exercise will bring to the forefront the limits of EU and NATO responsibility and those situations in which their cooperation is necessary.
"There are no borders between countries or organizations on the Internet, and when it comes to countering threats on the internet, barriers between EU and NATO cooperation must be reduced," said Luik.
The Estonian defense minister thanked Domecq for the EDA's support for the exercise.
The strategic-level table-top exercise EU CYBRID 2017 will take place on Sept. 7 in Tallinn. It is the first event of its kind.
While in Brussels this week, Luik participated in a number of meetings related to the Estonian presidency of the Council of the EU, which began on July 1 and will run through the end of the year.
The objective of the meetings was to more precisely fill the EU's defense cooperation initiatives as well as to harmonize expectations for the future of military cooperation in the EU.
In addition to Domecq, Luik also met with Elżbieta Bieńkowska, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Gen. Mikhail Kostarakos, chairman of the European Union Military Committee, European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen, and Julian King, Commissioner for the Security Union.
Editor: Aili Vahtla