Baltic States – CIS, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Russia

Foreign Minister of Estonia Urmas Paet stated that the regular exchange of ideas with Russia regarding Europe and international co-operation in general is important and useful.

Discussing developments, related to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Estonia is content with the fact that the Corfu Process, within the framework of which Russia's proposals for European security are being discussed, is taking place within the OSCE and is therefore strengthening the OSCE's role in security reform. Topics that still require attention are the matter of Georgia's territorial integrity and the restoration of the OSCE representation and monitoring mission in Georgia.

Estonia supports the efforts of Kazakhstan as the chairman of the OSCE in 2010.

Another topic, addressed at the consultations, was co-operation in the Council of Europe. It is important that the priorities of the Swiss presidency are the safeguarding of human rights, democracy, and rule of law. Estonia welcomed Russia's ratification of Protocol 14 of the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights.

They also discussed co-operation in the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) and addressed the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting taking place in Tallinn in April.

While talking about co-operation between the European Union and Russia, the focus was on the EU-Russia partnership for modernisation, negotiations for a new EU-Russia agreement, Russia joining the WTO, the EU-Russia visa dialogue, and co-operation in crisis management.