TALLINN - Estonia's foreign minister has praised the country's relations with Sweden and accused Russia of activities that are stoking the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Estonia and Sweden are close partners both in the Baltic region and in the EU, share the same values and take similar positions on key foreign policy issue, Keit Pentus-Rosimannus said at a meeting in Stockholm with her Swedish counterpart, Margot Wallstrom, according to the Estonian Foreign Ministry.
However, the ministry press service told Interfax, Pentus-Rosimannus insisted that Baltic security interests meant the two countries should cooperate more closely.
“We take very similar positions and make identical assessments of threats to the Baltic region and Europe. We want to strengthen our defense cooperation within the Baltic-Nordic countries format and make maximum use of resources offered by our partnership with NATO,” she said.
She cited the membership of Estonia and Sweden in the European Union’s Nordic Battlegroup, joint cyber security projects and joint military exercises as examples of fruitful cooperation between the two countries.
Pentus-Rosimannus and Wallstrom also expressed concern about the situation in eastern Ukraine and blamed Russia for it.
“Russia still fails to observe the truce, and supplies of armaments to Ukrainian territory are unacceptable and give rise to tensions,” Pentus-Rosimannus said.
She insisted that the EU closely follow developments in Ukraine and intervene where it sees fit.
