The delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu who is on a visit in Germany met Chairman of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee Ruprecht Polenz and other members of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The international security policy issues as well as the European Union’s Eastern Partnership, European Union and NATO enlargement and energy security were discussed.

The meeting focused on the future of the stabilisation operation in Afghanistan and limiting of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons in Europe. “The success of the NATO-led coalition is of crucial importance for the security of the Euro-Atlantic space and therefore Estonia is very happy with the German parliament’s decision to increase the German military contingent in North-Afghanistan,” said Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Sven Mikser. When speaking about armament control, Mikser found that the Western European countries should stick to their requirement of binding the potential ratification of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe with fulfilment of the so-called Istanbul commitments by Russia.
 
Members of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee emphasised the consistency of Germany’s foreign policy priorities during the present government coalition. The need to pay increased attention to relations with the smaller European Union member states was highlighted during the meeting.
 
The delegation also met Chairman of the Bundestag’s Baltic-German Friendship Group Christel Happach-Kasan, Foreign Policy Adviser to the German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel Christoph Heusgen and Head of Policy Planning of the German Federal Foreign Office Markus Ederer. Also, ideas were exchanged with representatives of various workshops: the German Marshall Fund, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik and Körber-Stiftung.
 
Chairman of the Committee Sven Mikser and members Valdur Lahtvee, Silver Meikar, Marko Mihkelson and Toomas Varek are taking part of the visit of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu taking place from March 1–3.
 
 
The Riigikogu Press Service
 
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