Kaili Terras is Estonia’s new ambassador to Lithuania, and she has said that she is looking forward to the forging of closer defence ties between the two nations.
“Our defence industries are mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, and they’re ready to bring innovative and cutting-edge solutions to the market,” the ambassador told BNS in an interview. “Estonian defence companies are intensively exploring disruptive innovations which I hope will also be of interest to Lithuania and could be grounds for positive co-operation.”
“Estonia and Lithuania are already sharing several defence initiatives, but there’s always room for more,” Ambassador Terras added.
Terras underscored the need for Estonia and Lithuania to work together “to ensure our security and to help Ukraine to victory. We must stand together so that our voice remains strong and unwavering, ensuring that Europe keeps its focus on Ukraine and, at the same time, strengthens its own security as a matter of urgency.”
The envoy described the planned decoupling of Baltic grids from the Russian and Belarusian electricity system (BRELL) next February as “another crucial milestone.”
“Estonia and Lithuania share the energy market, and my role as ambassador is to foster foundations for mutually beneficial partnerships,” she said.
In addition to security and energy issues, Terras pointed to education and information and communications technologies as other priority areas of potential collaboration.
“Young people in Estonia and Lithuania could link more often through the Erasmus+ programme, for instance, thus gaining an opportunity to study at each other’s universities,” she explained.
Estonian President Alar Karis appointed the new ambassador last week. The previous ambassador to Lithuania, Kaimo Kuusk, left the post this summer to become permanent secretary at the Estonian Ministry of Defence.
Kaili Terras was ambassador at large for education and educational technologies before this new appointment. She was Estonia’s ambassador to the Netherlands from 2017 until 2021.
Source: BNS
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