Baltic States – CIS, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Technology

Alexander Stubb and Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Tallinn, 30.06.2014. Photo: president.ee

Stubb made his first foreign visit to Estonia in his current office.

During their term as members of the European Parliament, Ilves and Stubb were closely linked to developing the European Union Baltic Sea Strategy, which has helped transform the region more competitive and more successful.

Ilves stated that the co-operation between Estonia and Finland could be taken as an example for other countries, for example Finland implementing the secure data exchange layer X-tee (X-Road) that has been developed in Estonia.

Ilves and Stubb discussed the Ukrainian crisis. “Right now, Russia is not a strategic partner for the European Union, rather than a strategic challenge,” said Ilves. He emphasised that democratic Europe has to lean on common values that rule out the option of changing borders with military force and annexing territories as was the case with the Crimea, as well as the option of providing support in separatists armed groups operating in neighbouring countries, as we can see in Eastern Ukraine.

Estonia and Finland hope that Moscow will find the way to resolve the conflict, by supporting the peace plan proposed by President Poroshenko, distancing from separatists in Eastern Ukraine, and demonstrating respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.