Visit of the Estonia-Germany Parliamentary Group focuses on the European digital single market and tackling refugee issue
The Estonia-Germany Parliamentary Group of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) is on a visit to Germany from today until Saturday. The security and defence policy of the European Union, digital single market and how Europe should deal with the great number of refugees will be the key issues of the visit.
Today the delegation met with the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Bundestag. The perspectives of the Eastern Partnership and the relations between the EU and Turkey were discussed at the meeting. The members of the Riigikogu also visited the Berlin Wall Memorial, the Holocaust Memorial and also the Estonian cafe Jää-äär in Berlin.
At tomorrow’s meeting with the members of the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union of the Bundestag, further integration of the European Union will be discussed. At noon, the delegation will meet with Vice-President of the Bundestag Edelgard Bulmahn. This will be followed by a meeting with members of the Defence Committee of the Bundestag, where security and defence policy and international fight against terrorism will be spoken about. The delegation will also visit the refugee shelter of the Berlin City Mission.
On Thursday, it is planned to meet with the Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth and discuss the action plan for further strengthening the bilateral cooperation of the two countries, which was agreed upon by the foreign ministers of Estonia and Germany. The delegation will also meet with the Parliamentary Friendship Group for Relations with the Baltic States and Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor Helge Braun, with whom it will be discussed how to deal with the great number of refugees coming to Europe.
The delegation also plans to visit the city of Neumarkt. At Bräugasse primary school, they will meet with the pupils of the transition class for the children who do not speak German. The receiving and registration centre for refugees and refugee shelter will be visited with the members of Neumarkt City Council.
Chairman of the Estonia-Germany Parliamentary Group Kalle Palling is the head of the delegation, other members of the delegation are Yoko Alender, Andres Ammas, Peeter Ernits and Mailis Reps. The delegation is accompanied by the Ambassador of Estonia in Germany Kaja Tael.
Riigikogu Press Service
Kati Varblane
Phone: + 372 631 6353, + 372 51 69 152
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