At his meeting with the President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier today, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas emphasised that the countries of Europe had to keep making efforts to create security for their people, and to cooperate more.

“The Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union started with a wave of optimism. The European economy is growing, unemployment is decreasing, and people are again supporting and trusting the EU more. I can feel how the 27 member states wish to shape the future of Europe together,” Prime Minister Ratas said. 

“However, recent events in Spain, Finland, Germany and France show that we have to make more efforts in creating security for the people. It means combatting terrorism, better control of the refugee flow on the Mediterranean and cooperation with the close neighbours of Europe. And also the more effective returning of people who have no right to be in Europe to their home country,” the Prime Minister added.

At the same time, Ratas believes it is also important to help those people who have fled to Europe or its immediate neighbourhood to escape conflict. “Last week, I visited the office of the International Organisation for Migration in Gaziantep in Turkey, where I saw the remarkable work Germany is doing in the reunification of refugee families. Losing close ones and being apart from them is very hard,” the Prime Minister said, and he also acknowledged Germany for processing a huge number of asylum applications. 1.1 million asylum applications were submitted in Germany in 2015 and 2016, which is 200 percent more that during the preceding decade.

The meeting of Prime Minister Ratas and President Steinmeier mainly focused on the key topics of the European Union. Besides security and defence cooperation, the digital development of Europe is also important for the Estonian Presidency. According to Ratas, Europe should not simply tag along; it should also set the pace in the global rapidly developing digital sphere. The Prime Minister acknowledged the steps Germany had recently taken in introducing e-governance.

Prime Minister Ratas and President Steinmeier also briefly discussed the relations between Germany and Estonia. “I am happy that our relations are not only close and constructive, but I can also assure that Germany is a good friend of Estonia,” Ratas said. ”Germany contributes actively to the security of the Baltic States in air policing, cyber defence, joint operations and exercises. Germany is one of the most important trade partners of Estonia. Year by year, we can see an increase in the number of German tourists in Estonia, and hopefully also German investments.”