President Karis will open the building of Estonian Embassy in Ottawa. The visit schedule also includes a meeting with the representatives of the local Estonian community, who are currently working on an ambitious development project aiming to establish International Estonian Centre in downtown Toronto.
At the opening session of the security forum, the Estonian head of state will touch upon the long-term challenges arising from Russia’s war of aggression and the importance of the United States and Canada in Euro-Atlantic security. “The challenges that we face due to Russia’s war in Ukraine have not been seen in the world since the end of World War II. This war has become a merciless test to determine the commitment of the democratic community to stand up for the values it holds dear,” said President Karis.
Halifax International Security Forum has traditionally focused on factors affecting transatlantic relations. This year’s forum also includes discussions of other aspects of security, such as energy and food security and economic and trade problems. It also touches upon the role of high technology in conflicts, the impact of disinformation in shaping public opinion and the role of communities in the defence of democracy.
The Estonian president’s bilateral meetings in Ottawa and Toronto include discussions of defence cooperation, further possibilities of assisting Ukraine and economic relations. “Estonia values Canada’s contribution to the collective defence in the Baltic region highly. As NATO allies, we share similar views in many questions. Canada is also one of the G7 countries who is currently very interested in investing in Estonia. Our energy cooperation has also recently gained new impetus,” said the head of state.
Of Canadian investments, Circle K has played a central role in Estonia for a long time. A more recent addition is the rare earth metal processing plant in Sillamäe owned by Neo Performance Materials. The trade between Estonia and Canada has grown by a third in the last five years.
President Karis will return to Estonia next Wednesday.
