EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq held talks today (21 April) in Tallinn with Estonian Minister of Defence Mr Margus Tsahkna, Commander of the Defence Forces General Riho Terras, as well as with the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Estonian Defence Industry Association, and NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCoE). Discussions focused on the preparation for the upcoming Estonian Presidency of the EU Council during the second half of 2017 and namely on EDA’s support to defence related events organised in the framework of the Estonian Presidency. Talks also focused on Estonia’s current and potential future contributions to EDA projects and programmes.
Discussions with the Minister of Defence dealt primarily with the upcoming Estonian Presidency of the EU Council and Estonia’s current and potential future contributions to EDA projects and programmes. Mr. Domecq and Minister Tsahkna also spoke about the general state of play regarding the Implementation Plan on Security and Defence, European Defence Action Plan, and other new initiatives that now are high on the EU defence agenda.
Mr. Domecq ensured Minister Tsahkna of the Agency’s support to defence related events organised in the framework of the Estonian Presidency. In this regards, the EDA has offered to co-organise the cyber exercise EU CYBRID 2017 together with the Estonian Presidency that will test crisis response on a strategic level in the context of major cyber-attack with the aim to raise awareness on a political/ministerial level of cyber effects.
Continuing a busy day in Tallinn, Mr. Domecq also held a meeting with the Director of the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCoE). EDA and CCDCoE, widely acknowledged as crucial actors for developing higher resilience against cyber threats, agreed to continue cooperating in order to bring added value to EDA participating Member States and CCDCoE sponsoring nations.
Mr. Domecq concluded his visit to Tallinn at the Estonian Defence Forces HQ where he held a meeting with Chief of Defence, General Riho Terras.