25 October (BNS)

During Tuesday’s meeting in Tallinn between the defence ministers of Estonia and Finland, it was decided that Estonia and Finland will start drafting a framework document on bilateral defence co-operation.

The Estonian minister, Mart Laar, and his Finnish counterpart Stefan Wallin gave orders at the meeting to draw up by February a four-year framework for defence co-operation to determine the principal areas and aims of collaboration, spokespeople for the Defence Ministry said.

"Co-operation between Estonia and Finland in defence matters has been very close and useful ever since the 1990s. The four-year co-operation plan is intended to raise those relations to a new level so as to save the money of both Estonian and Finnish taxpayers through joint action," Laar said.

The ministers also discussed questions related to Nordic-Baltic co-operation, European Union battle groups, the Afghanistan operation, and cyber defence.

Finish defence Minister Wallin was in Estonia for a working visit on Tuesday.