Yesterday, on 22 May Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu met with a delegation of UN ambassadors currently on a visit to Estonia and discussed cooperation between states and the challenges that the United Nations organisation faces.
“When it comes to security, Estonia sees the rules-based world order as essential. Relying on international law creates a strong foundation for the peaceful coexistence of all states,” emphasised Foreign Minister Reinsalu. “We are confident that international issues are more effectively resolved in cooperation with other states and peoples because the supreme goal is to maintain peace between countries,” he said. The Foreign Minister assured that if Estonia becomes a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, it will prioritise the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Urmas Reinsalu expressed concern about instances of the use of force in international relations. “There are a few grave examples of that in our region, such as the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the destabilisation of Eastern Ukraine by Russia,” pointed out the Foreign Minister. “We are equally worried about crisis areas in other regions across the world,” he said, referring especially to the situation in the Middle East. The Foreign Minister stressed the importance of the UN Security Council in crisis resolution.
Urmas Reinsalu also talked about Estonia’s contribution to crisis resolution and the implementation of peacekeeping initiatives. “We have been involved in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Mali, and intend to continue participating in peacekeeping missions,” added the Foreign Minister.
Among the issues discussed were various possibilities of making the United Nations more effective as an organisation. He also spoke about Estonia’s achievements in the field of e-governance. At the meeting, Urmas Reinsalu confirmed that Estonia wishes to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and is dedicated to this task.
The meeting was attended by UN ambassadors from 21 countries including Africa, the Caribbean region, the Pacific Ocean region and the Middle East. The ambassadors are visiting Estonia as part of the e-Governance Conference in Tallinn organised by the e-Governance Academy.
*Further information about the e-governance conference: https://ega.ee/et/event/e-governance-conference-2019-same-goals-differen…
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmcz18CH
Further information:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Communication Department
[email protected]