Prime Minister Ratas: Bilateral relations between Estonia and France have never been better

Stenbock House, 28 June 2017 – Today, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas met with the Prime Minister of France Edouard Philippe. The future of the European Union, the priorities of the Estonian Presidency of the EU Council and security issues were discussed at the meeting.


According to Ratas, bilateral relations between France and Estonia are better than they have ever been and he hopes that today’s visit will give renewed impetus to mutual cooperation. “We highly appreciate the participation of France in the NATO battle group in Estonia. Their presence increases the sense of security and enhances the security of the Baltic states. I am also happy that tomorrow we will have the possibility to visit the Tapa military base together,” Ratas said.


The future of the European Union was also discussed at the meeting, and Prime Minister Ratas gave an overview of the priorities of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.


“The greatest priority of the Estonian Presidency is to lead the 28 countries so that Europe will remain positive and strong. Naturally, one of our most important and predominant topics regards digital Europe and the free flow of data. Our aim is to work towards making the free flow of data the fifth freedom of the EU and one of the cornerstones of a well-functioning single market,” the Prime Minister said.
Making the cooperation between Estonia and France more effective was also discussed at the meeting. “We mainly see possibilities for cooperation in the sectors of culture, digital issues and defence,” Ratas added.


Photos (Raul Mee/Government Communication Unit): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c0njrrac2ir2ev8/AABsMnlqFU2Gi-00BIFDnEFTa?dl=0