Estonian Prime Minister Visits Paris To Meet With French President Macron - Government

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday to discuss international issues and sign a declaration of bilateral strategic relations, the Estonian government announced on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2020) Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday to discuss international issues and sign a declaration of bilateral strategic relations, the Estonian government announced on Wednesday.

"France is a very close friend and strategic partner of Estonia, with whom we have close cooperation in many areas, both bilaterally and in the European Union and NATO. With the declaration of strategic relations to be signed today, we want to further intensify cooperation with France," Ratas said, cited by the government in a statement.

According to the statement, both officials will discuss military cooperation to ensure security in the Western African country of Mali, and within the framework of NATO's EFP (Enhanced Forward Presence) military activities in Estonia.

In addition, Ratas and Macron are set to discuss health crisis caused by the pandemic, strategy for economic recovery, fight against climate change and digital revolution, the statement said. In addition, the two leaders will discuss issues of international concerns, including the Nagarno-Karabakh conflict, situation in Belarus, tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean region and relations with Moscow.

After his meeting with Macron, Ratas will participate in a roundtable with Estonian and French business owners for talks on boosting business relations between the two states.

Ratas is due to return to Estonia on Wednesday evening, the statement said.

France and Estonia already cooperate on a range of issues, including NATO membership, and Cyber Defense. France is also Estonia's 16th biggest foreign investor.