Estonian president praises German military support

Estonian President Alar Karis on Thursday praised Germany’s military and security assistance to his country and other eastern NATO countries.

“I have commended Germany for its contribution to the defence of NATO’s eastern flank, its support for Ukraine and its leading role in European security,” Karis was quoted as saying after a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Tallinn.

At a reception at the German embassy, the Estonian president also thanked his German counterpart for his personal commitment.

“You are the German head of state who has visited Estonia most often,” Karis said.

For his part, Steinmeier emphasized that Germany and Estonia are partners in the EU and allies in NATO, and referred to the recent Russian violations of Estonian airspace.

“We stand together for freedom, for Europe, for our common values,” he said.

During his two-day visit to Estonia, Steinmeier is attending the annual meeting of the so-called Arraiolos Group.

This is an informal association of heads of state from 16 EU countries, most of whom have a ceremonial rather than a major political role. He also gave a speech at the Tallinn Digital Summit.