Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Legislation, Security, Technology

Cyber security must remain a priority in international cooperation, since challenges and solutions related to information technology are global and mutually intertwined, Kaljurand said speaking at a high-level EU and NATO seminar on cyber security in the European Parliament in Brussels.

"Constant cyber attacks are a new normality today. Therefore it's important for us to be ready and to strengthen both national as well as cross-border networks and systems," Kaljurand said.

Kaljurand emphasized the importance of international and cross-sectoral cooperation in the EU and NATO when it comes to cyber security, spokespeople for the Foreign Ministry said.

"We consider it necessary to intensify political and operational cooperation in cyber defense and exchanges of information between the EU and NATO. The EU's broader approach to cyber security and NATO's more narrowly focused activity in cyber defense are complementary. Exchange of information enables to better detect incidents and to respond to them more rapidly," Kaljurand said.

The Estonian minister stressed the need to develop capabilities and plan joint training exercises. "We need to continue this work in the EU and NATO, security of the cyberspace must be ensured as a whole," she said.

Kaljurand also stressed the importance of cooperation in cyber security with partner nations and private sector. "The European Union and NATO could work closely with the private sector in the field of cyber defense together," she added.

The Estonian foreign minister read the remarks at the third seminar on cyber security organized by Estonian MEP Urmas Paet. Other speakers at the seminar were Sven Sakkov, director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Security Center of Excellence in Tallinn; Sorin Ducaru, NATO's assistant secretary general for emerging security challenges; and Francois Rivasseau, head of the security policy and space policy division at the European External Action Service.