12 March

The National Defence Committee, summoned by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, discussed the new National Defence Plan for 2013-2022 that foresees defending the country more extensively than just military defence, going beyond the duties of the Ministry of Defence or the Defence Forces.

"This is a wide-based approach to national defence: the elaboration of a development plan has been divided into three large stages: threat scenarios, operative planning, and analysis of resources," stated the head of state. "Problems that require a common approach to solving include, for example, the organisation of command, challenges related to internal security, social sphere, cyber defence, energy."

Final choices, decisions and arrangements regarding the new National Defence Development Plan can be adopted this spring; the goal is to submit the document for the approval of the Government of the Republic by the end of this year.

The National Defence Committee also discussed the development of a uniform National Defence Act, which would include both the current Peace-Time National Defence Act and War-Time National Defence Act and the International Military Co-operation Act. The proposed act would also increase the capacities of executive power for the quick adoption of professional, wide-based decisions on matters of national defence.

The National Defence Committee also discussed the current status of NATO-led operations in Afghanistan, where the security situation is still complicated in some spheres and in the country in general. Transferring the responsibilities to the army and police units of Afghanistan is becoming more and more important both this year and next.