Mikser in Berlin: Crises have made Europe stronger
On a working visit to Berlin on Tuesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sven Mikser (SDE) gave an opening speech at the Berlin Security Conference and met with Swedish colleague Peter Hultqvist as well as Jan Hecker, foreign policy adviser to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"The economic crisis, Brexit, the migration crisis and one country's military intervention in Europe's neighborhood — these are the challenges which we have had to face in the past decade," Mikser said in his speech.
"All this has put to the test the decisiveness and power of resistance of the European Union, but through these crises, Europe has also proven itself and become only stronger," he emphasized, expressing gladness over even more people supporting EU unity, including in security matters, as reflected in the results of recent surveys.
The Estonian minister also pointed out that the continent's eastern as well as southern neighborhoods play an important role in European security.
"The security of Europe strongly depends on what goes on behind its borders," Mikser said. "We must be solidary with our neighbors and at the same time also notice the added value what cooperation with them gives us". He also stressed the importance of cyber security, the fight against terrorism and strategic communication in the context of today's threats.
At his meeting with Hecker, Mikser discussed the security situation in Europe, Estonia's presidency of the Council of the EU, and the situation in Ukraine. Mikser also expressed support for Germany's work in the Normandy format.
"Unfortunately, there has been no progress in the Minsk process, and we have to continue with a common EU policy in regard to the Ukraine issue," he noted.
The Estonian minister also spoke at a seminar of the German Marshall Fund think tank titled "German-American Dialogue on the Post-Soviet Space," where he highlighted the succes of the Eastern Partnership Summit which took place in Brussels last week.
"The summit provided us with clear directions for the future, the final goal of which is the well-being, stability and security of the whole Europe," Mikser said.
Editor: Aili Vahtla