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

Angela Merkel and Latvian president Andris Berzins. Photo: president.lv

Namely, Merkel ruled out on Monday at a press conference in Riga that permanent NATO bases could be located in the Baltic States because it would violate the 1997 agreement between Russia and NATO on use of troops.

"I understand, on the one hand and, on the other hand do not understand that what Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor said, caused such great anxiety," Rõivas said. "It is not like the only possible NATO presence is that completely new bases would be built next to our current bases or instead of them, or that tens of thousands of foreign countries' or our partner states defence forces members have to be permanently located here," he explained.

"Estonia is interested in guaranteeing that we have a long-term, sustained and as precisely targeted presence of allies as possible. These capabilities, which we alone cannot meet at the right level, in those we seek the support from allies," the Prime Minister said.

Rõivas said that one very good example is air policing. It also should not be forgotten that there are not just four Danish fighter planes in Estonia but a number of men and women accompanying them who defend Estonia and our neighbouring countries.

"This presence will definitely expand after the NATO summit; in this regard, we have very specific requests, and there is no sense in looking for confrontation between what Angela Merkel said and our positions here," stressed Rõivas.