According to President Karis, it is significant that the visit of President of Finland Alexander Stubb to Estonia is a state visit. “This confirms the extraordinary friendship between our countries and the importance of this visit. Our conversations also showed once again that Estonia and Finland are friends who have a very similar understanding of the world, as we are both committed European Union Member States who wish to see a strong, economically prosperous and globally influential Europe,” said the Estonian head of state. “The transatlantic partnership and finding and keeping global allies is important for us. We agree that we must do everything in our power to ensure that the Baltic Sea Region remains at peace.”
According to President Karis, shared NATO membership opened new doors for Estonia and Finland for even closer joint defence activities both in the Gulf of Finland and together with Sweden in the entire Baltic Sea Region.
The Estonian and Finnish heads of state discussed Russia's aggression and the Kremlin-initiated colonial war in Ukraine, which aims to destroy the state and freedom of Ukrainians. “We have both provided significant support to Ukraine. We also need to remind others that we must be more determined in supporting Ukraine,” said Karis. The U.S. aid package for Ukraine is much needed, but Europe should take it as an incentive for additional large shipments of aid rather than an excuse to do less. The allies actually have all the means to stop Russia.”
President Karis noted that as neighbours of Russia, Estonia and Finland have directly witnessed hybrid attacks at their borders. “Their aim is to intimidate and sow confusion and uncertainty,” said the Estonian president. “The events of the last few months are a reminder of how important robust control and modern infrastructure are for our common EU border to function. At the same time, these events remind us that we must be ready to take quick decisions, as Finland did when it closed all of its eastern border crossing points”.
President Karis invited Finland to join the Three Seas Initiative. “We are witnessing a decline in the importance of trade routes between the east and the west, and this geopolitical change further highlights the need to foster connections between the north and the south. Finland is a natural part of the north-south infrastructure corridor in our region, and cooperation on cross-border projects, whether in the fields of transport, energy or communications, will bolster both our economies.”
Following his election, Finnish Head of State Alexander Stubb told Estonian Television that “you can always trust the handshake of a Finn”. “Now it is my turn to assure that you can always trust the handshake of an Estonian, too,” President Karis said to his Finnish counterpart.
