Support for Ukraine and countering Russia’s war of aggression is the main topic of discussion at the meeting of Speakers from eight countries today. Relations with the United States and various issues affecting parliaments, such as the impact of artificial intelligence, the means to promote gender equality, and the fight against hate speech, are also addressed at the meeting.

After the meeting of the Speakers, Hussar will observe the referendum on resuming Iceland’s EU accession negotiations in Reykjavík. He will visit polling stations and meet with both the supporters and the opponents of accession to the EU. Iceland applied to join the EU in 2009, but suspended the accession process in 2013.

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The meeting, which will be held in the NB8 format and last all day tomorrow, will be attended by the Speakers of the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland.

Following the meeting of the NB8 Speakers, Hussar will observe the referendum on resuming Iceland’s EU accession negotiations. He will visit polling stations on Friday and Saturday and meet with both the supporters and the opponents of accession to the EU. Hussar is also planning to meet with Honorary Consul of Estonia in Iceland Pétur Már Jónsson. Iceland applied to join the EU in 2009, but suspend the accession process in 2013.

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The Speakers consider it essential to hold Russia to account for its crime of aggression, war crimes and persistent violations of international law. They also highlight the need for close cooperation with like-minded partners in order to counter Russia’s attempts to attain international legitimacy for its war efforts, including by preventing the normalisation of its participation in international sporting and cultural events. The Speakers reaffirm their support for Ukraine’s full accession to the EU, and for its irreversible path to NATO.

“Being mindful of the far-reaching consequences of Russia’s illegal unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression, as well as the hybrid threats directed against Ukraine’s supporters, we will continue to cooperate actively in pursuing initiatives to strengthen the European Union and NATO Eastern borders, counter persistent disinformation campaigns, and address the orchestrated migratory pressure on the EU external border,” the Speakers say.

They welcome the results of the NATO Ankara Summit, which reaffirmed the unity of the Allies and their commitment to collective defence, and emphasise the need for Europe to assume greater responsibility in strengthening its own security and participating in NATO as reliable and capable Allies. “Strong NATO presence, including that of the US forces in the Baltic region, is an essential element of effective and credible deterrence,” the Speakers point out.

According to the Joint Statement, cooperation to reinforce the position of the Baltic States in negotiating the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework will also continue. The Speakers also highlight Lithuania’s presidency of the EU Council, which will begin in January 2027, and priority areas on the European Union agenda: security and defence of the EU and the Euro-Atlantic area, enlargement, competitiveness through innovation, technological advancement, sustainability and economic resilience, internal security and effective management of migration and external borders, social security, and responding to demographic challenges.

The Speakers of the Parliaments of Latvia and Lithuania are in Tallinn to attend the celebrations of the 35th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia’s independence.

Joint Statement in Estonian and in English

Photos of the meeting (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

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The agenda for the session includes the election of the President of the Republic of Estonia.

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According to Hussar, Estonia supports the reconstruction of Ukraine, and its path towards membership in both the European Union and NATO. “We look forward to the opening of the thematic clusters of EU negotiations with Ukraine as soon as possible, and we also support Ukraine’s future membership in NATO. Positive changes have already taken place among our allies, and we will continue our efforts to explain that this is the best solution for lasting peace in Europe,” he said.

Hussar also noted that to weaken Russia, it was necessary to increase the cost of aggression through new sanctions. “Under increased pressure, Russia will sooner or later find itself in a situation where it is forced to accept a solution that would help bring about a just and lasting peace,” he said.

Developments on the battlefield, cooperation with the United States, defence cooperation between Estonia and Ukraine, and the situation in the Middle East were also discussed at the meeting. Chairman of the Estonia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group Eerik-Niiles Kross participated in the meeting of Hussar and Svyrydenko at the Riigikogu.

During her one-day visit to Tallinn, Svyrydenko also met with President of the Republic Alar Karis and Prime Minister Kristen Michal.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

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Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Peeter Tali said that in order for Albania to join the European Union, it was important to continue with implementing reforms. He added that he was happy to see the country’s commitment and rare consensus regarding integration with the EU. “Albania’s plan is to close most of the chapters in its negotiations with the European Union by the end of next year and achieve full membership by 2030. This requires the support of all 27 member states,” he said. “Enlargement is a political decision, but consensus is always easier to achieve when the candidate country has done its homework perfectly.”

Bilateral relations, cooperation – particularly in the fields of defence industry and digital skills – as well as the situation in the Western Balkans, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and transatlantic relations were also discussed during the meetings. Member of the European Union Affairs Committee Urve Tiidus also participated in the meeting of the Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee with the Speaker of the Parliament of Albania.

In the morning, Peleshi met with President of the Republic Alar Karis and visited the Memorial to the Victims of Communism at Maarjamäe. The Speaker of the Parliament of Albania will also meet with Chairman of the Estonia-Albania Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu Eerik-Niiles Kross and member of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Andrei Korobeinik later today.

Photos ( (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

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“Recently, we have seen Russia’s aggression turn increasingly desperate, with ever more brutal attacks against civilians and civil infrastructure. Our response to this must be an even stronger support to Ukraine and pressure on Russia,” Hussar stressed.

The main topics at the meetings in the Italian parliament were support to Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia for the aggression, as well as European security, strengthening European defence industry, transatlantic relations, and European Union enlargement.

The President of the Riigikogu and the members of the delegation – the Chairman of the Estonia-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group Heljo Pikhof and member Luisa Värk – met with the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Maurizio Gasparri, Chair of the Chamber Commission for Simplification Francesco Saverio Romano, and Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Giulio Tremonti. Other members of the Italian parliament also attended the meetings.

The delegation also took part in a panel discussion with think tanks, members of the press, and students, and the President of the Riigikogu delivered a speech in the NATO Defense College.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

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Speaking about the security situation in Europe in light of the upcoming NATO summit, Hussar said that NATO was changing and therefore it was important that European allies continued to increase defence spending and invest in strengthening defence capabilities. He expressed his satisfaction that Estonia enjoyed good cooperation with the Czech Republic in providing aid to Ukraine as well.  “Everything we do in supporting Ukraine helps curb Russian aggression,” he said.

Hussar and Pavel considered it important to increase support for Ukraine while at the same time stepping up pressure on Russia. According to Hussar, it is also necessary to ensure that Russia’s crimes do not go unpunished. Therefore, according to him, it is important to continue with the establishment of a special tribunal for Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine.

From the Riigikogu, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson and the Chairman of the Estonian-Czech Parliamentary Friendship Group Aivar Sõerd also participated in the meeting.

The Czech President is on a state visit to Estonia, which began today and will continue until tomorrow, at the invitation of President of the Republic Alar Karis.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

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In February, the Riigikogu became the first parliament to approve the Council of Europe agreement establishing the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and a month later, the convention establishing the International Claims Commission for Ukraine was ratified. Hussar called on other countries to ratify these agreements as soon as possible.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson highlighted the role of the Council of Europe in defending law and justice in Europe. “If we want to restore peace and stability in Europe, we must do everything in our power to ensure that crimes of aggression do not go unpunished,” he said. According to him, the visit of the Secretary General is extremely important, as it takes place before the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers meeting, which will be held in Moldova at the end of this week, and where a resolution to approve the establishing of the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal is expected to be adopted, thereby taking a step forward in the establishment of the Special Tribunal.

Mihkelson pointed out that Russia’s strategic objectives had not changed, therefore Europe must do even more than before to help Ukraine achieve victory. “Today we can be more optimistic than a few months ago, because Ukraine is fighting bravely, we are supporting them, and following the elections in Hungary, Europe is more united, but we have not done enough,” he noted, adding that therefore it was necessary to increase pressure on Russia and support for Ukraine right now.

According to Mihkelson, Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s defeat would create the conditions for the emergence of a free, united Europe that respects the principles of the rule of law, offering new hope not only to Ukraine but also to Belarus and Georgia. “A defeat in a war of aggression could also give rise to a glimmer of hope in Russia that a society which takes responsibility for its crimes and renounces imperialism might one day, in the distant future, rejoin the European legal community,” he said.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

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According to Hussar, the thematic clusters of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova should be opened without delay. “We also hope that an ad hoc working group on the accession agreement with Montenegro can be established in the near future. The recent elections in Hungary give us hope that we can finally move forward with the accession process,” he noted, and urged to use this opportunity.

In his speech, Hussar also highlighted the benefits of the accession of new countries. “EU enlargement will make Europe bigger and stronger – it will expand the common market, create better economic opportunities for Member States, and increase the EU’s global influence,” he said, and added that the EU enlargement also had a security dimension.

“We must ensure that democratic countries that follow the principles of the rule of law become EU members and do not remain in a so-called grey zone in our neighbourhood,” Hussar said. In his opinion, parliaments should explain their citizens how enlargement strengthens the EU itself. “Better understanding is accompanied by stronger public support,” he added.

In addition to the EU enlargement, security situation and strengthening the resilience of societies are discussed at the two-day Conference of Speakers of the EU Parliaments in Copenhagen. Tomorrow, the Speakers of the EU Parliaments will talk about ensuring the security and resilience of parliaments themselves, or how parliaments have prepared for responding to crises, including hybrid threats.

During the Conference, Hussar had a separate meeting today with Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Włodzimierz Czarzasty, with whom he discussed cooperation, supporting Ukraine, transatlantic relations, and strengthening NATO’s eastern flank. Tomorrow, the President of the Riigikogu will attend the meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of the Baltic States and the Nordic Countries.

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