During her working visit, President Kaljulaid will be meeting with members of the Estonian defence forces, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Haneef Atmar, leader of the High Council for the National Reconciliation of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah and commander of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission and United States Forces in Afghanistan General Austin S. Miller. Meetings are also planned with the heads of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the local representatives of one of Estonia’s long-term development partners, the NGO Mondo.
“The operation in Afghanistan has been the longest and most difficult mission Estonia has been involved in since it regained its independence,” explained Security Policy Adviser to the President Peeter Kuimet. “In making this visit, President Kaljulaid, who is of course the supreme commander of Estonia’s national defence, wants to recognise the contribution that all of our country’s defence force members have made in Afghanistan. With the military operation there coming to an end with the withdrawal of foreign forces in a few months’ time, and with Estonia taking the leading role on Afghanistan in the UN Security Council, we want to use this opportunity to talk to both the heads of the allies forces and the country’s leaders about Afghanistan’s future and the choices it faces.”
The international military operation in Afghanistan, led by NATO, was launched at the end of 2001. Estonia has been contributing to the mission since 2003. Currently, 45 Estonian defence force members are serving in Afghanistan as part of allies forces.
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