Ratas meets with May, Johnson in London
Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Center) met with British Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in London on Tuesday, with whom he discussed defense cooperation and future technologies, among other topics.
"Estonia and the United Kingdom have been connected by strong cooperation for as long as a century," Ratas said following his meeting with May, according to a government press release. "Yet as the world develops, there is room for improvement in long-term cooperation as well. For example, we could exchange more digital experts and knowledge, and why not implement another data exchange platform similar to X-Road?"
At their meeting, the Estonian prime minister emphasized that, on the U.K.'s initiative, NATO's increased presence in Estonia has secured the peace and security of the entire alliance. Estonia aims, he noted, to increase participation in the NATO-led Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan in cooperation with the U.K.
During Ratas' meeting with Johnson, primary topics of discussion included security, the relationship with Russia and its actions in Ukraine and Syria, as well as cyber cooperation.
Also briefly discussed during his meetings with May and Johnson on Tuesday was Brexit. Ratas confirmed that the unity of the 27 EU member states as well as maintaining good relations with the U.K. were important for Estonia. According to the Estonian prime minister, the adherence to and implementation of previous agreements are necessary for the successful continuation of Brexit negotiations.
Ratas is scheduled to meet with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and President Michael D. Higgins in Dublin on Wednesday, where he will also give a presentation at the Institute of International and European Affairs titled, "Will hope and history rhyme again for Europe?"
He is scheduled to return to Estonia on Thursday.
Editor: Aili Vahtla