21 June

Defence Minister Mart Laar met with Abdul Rahim Wardak, the Defence Minister of Afghanistan. The Afghan defence minister thanked Mart Laar for the help given by Estonia to the people of Afghanistan and provided an overview of the situation with Afghanistan's army. Furthermore, he introduced on-going reforms and future plans, confirming that by 2014 Afghanistan’s armed forces will be ready to take over the responsibility for the future of the state from the coalition forces.

According to Defence Minister Mart Laar, the meeting was very open and friendly. “Minister Wardak is well aware of Estonia’s history. While fighting as a commander against the invasion by the Soviet Union, his unit raised the flags of the three Baltic States on top of their headquarters, thus demonstrating their support for our fight for independence,” said the defence minister.

Mart Laar also expressed his condolences to Wardak for the casualties of the suicide bombing in Kabul, which took place only few hours before the meeting.

Wardak emphasised that although the attack ended with casualties, Afghanistan’s units were able to resolve the situation quickly.