On Thursday, the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu met with the President of Finland Sauli Niinistö in Helsinki. The situation of international relations and regional security, the economic cooperation of the two countries and the foreign policy activities of the European Union were discussed at the meeting.

“The Member States of the EU have to think more strategically. The current EU security strategy is 11 years old and clearly outdated. We have to ensure that in the future we will respond significantly faster to international events than we did in the case of Ukraine, Middle East and North-Africa,” the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said.

In Mihkelson’s opinion, the key issue in the cooperation of our two countries is finding ways of cooperation in the sphere of guaranteeing energy security that would be beneficial to and ensure the development of both sides.

President Niinistö assured that it is in the interests of two small countries to use all possibilities for cooperation both for the development of economy and the guaranteeing of security.

The Foreign Affairs Committee is on a working visit to Finland. Besides the President, the members of the Committee will also meet with their colleagues from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Eduskunta and the Chairman of the Committee Timo Soini, the first Deputy Speaker of Eduskunta Pekka Ravi and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Erkki Tuomioja. The delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu includes the Chairman Marko Mihkelson, Deputy Chairman Enn Eesmaa and members of the Committee Maimu Berg and Imre Sooäär.