Secretary General and Estonian President pledge to keep momentum after Lisbon
On 9 December, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves visited NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to discuss the way forward on the results of the successful Lisbon Summit last November. Mr Rasmussen expressed his gratitude for the important contribution Estonia makes to NATO's operation in Afghanistan in the challenging Helmand province, which stands proof of Estonia's contribution to NATO solidarity and shared security.
They welcomed the fact that the New Strategic Concept reinforces NATO's commitment to collective defence as a core task for the Alliance. The Secretary General reiterated that NATO's ongoing air policing mission for the Baltic states is a visible proof of Allied commitment to collective defence. At the same time, Estonia has and will continue to bring its own valuable contribution to the Alliance. The NATO Cyber Security Centre of Excellence in Estonia will play a key role in building up our collective defences on this 21st century battle-front, Mr. Rasmussen said.
President Ilves and the Secretary General also agreed that bolstering NATO-Russia cooperation helps increase security for all in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond. Significant work still lies ahead, but the Secretary General said he was convinced that there is a great opportunity to enhance - especially through missile defence cooperation - the strategic value of the NATO-Russia partnership.