During the meeting, the heads of government said they were pleased that the European Commission had recommended to the European Council to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, and agreed there should be no grey zones in European security If we want to achieve lasting peace. “In fulfilling the seven steps set by the European Commission, Ukraine has demonstrated its determination and political will,” Prime Minister Kallas remarked. “We will work to ensure that the decision of the European Council leads to the opening of accession negotiations with both Ukraine and Moldova by the end of the year.”
The Estonian head of government expressed her hope that prior to the December meeting of the European Council, the European Commission would also propose a Europe-wide solution for the use of frozen Russian assets in rebuilding Ukraine, stressing that European countries must persist in their long-term efforts to back Ukraine and raise the price of aggression for Russia. “The sanctions are working,” she noted. “As neighbours of the aggressor state, it is our right and duty to encourage our partners to more actively look for ways of minimising sanctions circumvention”
The heads of government also talked about the construction of Rail Baltic, which Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania must complete by 2030. “The success of the project and ensuring the best possible support from European Union funds requires a joint effort from us,” Prime Minister Kallas said. “We must keep our costs under control and speed up construction. Estonia will be commencing construction work on the section running south from Pärnu next year so as to guarantee the on-time completion of the line between Estonia and Latvia.”
Also discussed during the meeting was security, including energy security. Prime Minister Kallas says work with neighbouring countries must continue in order to shore up energy reserves and connections. “The damage to the gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland, whose cause is being investigated by experts from both countries, shows that we have to be prepared for a variety of scenarios,” she cautioned.
The next meeting of the heads of government of the Baltic States will be taking place in Tallinn in mid-December as part of the Baltic Council of Ministers, of which Estonia is the presiding country in 2023.
Photo: Raigo Pajula https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB2Ai2
