BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Expansion of the Alliance was decided upon at NATO summit

Bucharest – At the NATO summit that began yesterday evening and continued today in Bucharest, a clear potential was given to Georgia and Ukraine to join the Alliance. This means that NATO will intensively work at a high political level towards providing a membership action plan for Georgia and Ukraine. The progress of the two countries will first be evaluated in December at the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, who were also granted the right to make the final decision.

According to Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, it is positive that a forward-looking compromise was achieved with respect to the expansion of NATO. According to Ansip, the perspective to join NATO has become a great source of motivation for many countries in Eastern Europe and the Balkans for developing statehood, conducting defence reforms and providing general security. “What was decided today is a clear signal that the doors of NATO are, and will continue to be, open,” said Ansip. In his words, the expansion of NATO helps to increase security, stability and democracy.

According to Urmas Paet, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Estonia welcomes inviting Croatia and Albania to join. All technical and political criteria have been fulfilled in these two countries. With respect to the joining of Macedonia, a decision in principle was taken to invite the country to join the Alliance as soon as the issue of the name of the country is solved. “Membership will be palpable after the resolution of the issue of dispute, and hopefully an agreement will be reached soon,” said Paet, adding that a new summit for discussing Macedonia’s membership will not be necessary.

For the first time, the topic of cyber defence was raised at the head of state level. The recently adopted cyber defence policy determines the principles for the protection of the information systems of the Alliance, the establishment of cyber security related standards for NATO and the helping of allies in case of cyber attacks.

The long-term approach with respect to the Afghanistan operation was approved. “The adoption of the Afghanistan strategy confirms the long-term commitment of the Alliance and thus provides better prerequisites for the success of the NATO operation,” said Jaak Aaviksoo, Minister of Defence.
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Polish airforce pilots to guard Baltic airspace

About 100 Polish airforce pilots will guard the airspace over Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia under NATO's Air Policing scheme, Polish news agency PAP reported on Wednesday.

The flights will begin on Saturday. The Poles will replace a Norwegian Air Policing team.

The Air Policing mission was launched in 2004 to aid NATO countries lacking an airforce.

Source : Xinhua

Baltics blaze NATO trail for former Communist allies

Vilnius - Less than four years after they joined NATO, former Soviet republics Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have been advising their one-time Communist allies on how to join the 26-nation military alliance. And two months before the alliance is expected to decide on a further round of expansion, the Baltics were once more in the centre of attention on Thursday as NATO's defence ministers gathered in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, for two days of talks.

Three former communist countries - Albania, Croatia and Macedonia - are currently candidates for the membership. And the Baltic states have already held several talks with them on NATO integration.

"We look forward to the continued reform efforts of Albania, Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with a view to welcoming them to NATO in the very near future," the three Baltic presidents said in January in a joint press release on the 10th anniversary of the US-Baltic Charter, a lobbying group created on the Baltic path to join the alliance.

The Baltic states' assistance extends beyond promoting the Adriatic countries' membership of NATO.

They have offered the Adriatic countries development aid out of a sense of solidarity and strategic interests in Brussels, David Galbreath, a political observer at the University of Aberdeen, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"This is a great way to punch around their weight for smaller countries," he said.

Estonia's parliament backs military presence in Iraq until 2009

TALLINN - Estonia's parliament voted 53-29 in favor of extending the country's military deployment in Iraq until the end of 2008, the parliamentary press service reported on Wednesday.

The move followed a UN resolution on Tuesday extending the mandate for the U.S.-led multinational force (MNF) in the country for another year.

The country has been involved in the Iraqi campaign since 2003 and has around 150 troops currently deployed there and in Afghanistan.

Latvia, another Baltic NATO member, has dramatically reduced the number of soldiers in Iraq, while Lithuania has completely withdrawn its forces.

Estonia's government has budgeted 37.6 million kroons (about $3 million) to support the 2008 Iraqi mission.

Estonia’s defense forces willing to have own intelligence division

Experts argue, who in Estonia and in what volume may have rights to intelligence activity and as how to better organize it, daily Eesti Päevaleht writes.

Now in Estonia there are two agencies, engaged in gathering intelligence, according to the paper. One of them is the Security Police of Estonia (KaPo), under the Ministry of Interior which should guarantee constitutional order in the country. Other intelligence unit operates within the Department of Information of the Ministry of Defence of Estonia. Their powers are divided legally, however, actually militaries do not have their own intelligence division. Now the discussion is going on whether militaries may obtain similar right in the future the right, to watch simple citizens, like KaPo has.

Ministry of Defence considers necessary to know and supervise mood and loyalty of the employees and military personnel, to not allow the case similar to that of the end of the 1930s when an officer who lost his money in a casino sold defense plans of Narva to other state to cover loss, the newspaper notes. Militaries consider such activity prerogative and say that if only KaPo will be engaged in it, the system of the Soviet army would revive in the country when everywhere one could meet an employee of the KGB !

Soldiers being recruited in Estonia to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan

TALLINN - A campaign to recruit soldiers to a Scout Battalion to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan began in Estonia on Sunday.

"The campaign aims to hire professional soldiers for the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq," a spokesman for the General Staff has said.

The applicants are being informed about the benefits offered, including training in compliance with world standards, gear, pay and social guarantees. Videos will be shown on TV, which will also be available on the YouTube portal.

The organizers claimed that the Scout Battalion "offers servicemen a unique chance to see the world and test their strength in foreign missions."

The Scout Battalion is part of Estonia's First Infantry Brigade and is comprised exclusively of professional servicemen.

It is a rapid reaction force intended to participate in international operations under NATO, European Union and UN aegis. The battalion is also responsible for protecting vital facilities in Tallinn. sd

Estonia to stay in Irak to 2008

Riga - Estonia said Thursday it does not plan to extend its mission in Iraq, while fellow Baltic NATO and EU member Lithuania announced the deployment of a fresh combat unit to Iraq after a three-month break. "For the time being, Estonia has no intention of extending the mission beyond 2008," Estonian defence minister Jaak Aaviksoo told the Baltic News Service (BNS).

"We share the view that the military presence needs to be gradually transformed into a civilian mission, and we hope the plans that have been mapped out will also be effected at the turn of 2008- 2009 or during 2009 at the latest," he said.

Lithuania will send 40 troops of the Iron Wolf motorized infantry brigade on Friday.

First AgustaWestland AW139 for Estonian Ministry Of The Interior enters service

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that the first of two AW139 medium twin turbine engine helicopters ordered by Ministry of the Interiors of Estonia for Border Guard has entered service. Operational readiness has been officially announced during a ceremony held in Tallinn today. Jüri Pihl and Kalle Laanet, current and former Minister of the Interiors of Estonia respectively, Roland Peets, Director General of Border Guard, and Fabrizio Piaggesi, Italian Ambassador, attended the event.

This AW139, based in Tallinn, will effectively carry out patrols as well as search and rescue operations over the whole territory within the sphere of responsibility of Estonia.

Czech warplanes to patrol Baltic airspace

PRAGUE - Czech warplanes are to cruise the Baltic airspace over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania because the three NATO member countries are short of modern fighters.

The Czech government has accepted a plan for its air force jets to keep watch of the three Baltic states’ skies and the Czech parliament was expected give its final approval, Prague Radio reported Thursday.

Czech Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanova said a three-month mission is planned for 2009.

The flights of three Swedish-made Gripen warplanes, to be supported by about 100 ground personnel, will cost the Czech military budget about $25 million, the radio said.

The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the three Baltic states became NATO members in 2004.

Estonia has become the provider of security

Stenbock House – During meeting with Prime Minister Ansip, General Raymond Henault, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, who is on an official visit to Estonia, was convinced that Estonia, as a member of the alliance, has been able to provide security to other countries.

According to Henault, Estonia’s contribution to the activities of the alliance has been significant - Estonia’s activities in missions as well as our specialists’ knowledge of cyber defence are important.

General Henault expressed appreciation to Estonian soldiers. According to him, members of the Estonian Defence Forces serve as an example to others, they have received good training, and they are bold and willing to fulfil the tasks assigned to them.

The General believes that many countries may also contribute to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, which will be founded in Estonia.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Ansip confirmed that NATO is and will remain a central security and defence organisation for Estonia, and the state ensures that defence expenditures will comprise two percent of the gross domestic product by 2010.