According to Kallas, Estonia and Austria are prime examples of how different development paths have led to a common value space. “We are both prosperous, peaceful and democratic countries – both members of the European Union and the Eurozone. We are strong supporters of rules-based international law and oppose a situation where bigger neighbours can overrun smaller ones,” said Kallas.
The prime minister stressed that Europe’s main weapon against Russian aggression is remaining united and we should not underestimate our strength. “Ending the war with a victory in Ukraine is vital for Estonia, Austria, and Europe as a whole. The principles of security, such as territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, and the illegality of the use of force, must remain valid in the future,” Kallas added.
The prime minister pointed out that in addition to military assistance, economic support for Ukraine is important. “Austria was a supporter of the 50 billion euros of aid at the European Council, is one of the top ten donors, and also participated in the initiative of providing a million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine. Together, we must support Ukraine for as long and as much as it needs,” said Kallas.
In addition, Kallas said that Estonia is interested in closer cooperation with Austria in the development of green technologies and digital services. “We would be happy to see Austrian companies participating in the Rail Baltica procurement, as Austria has good rail know-how,” she said.
The prime minister gave a speech at the NEOS think tank on Thursday, where she spoke about preserving and defending freedom. “Estonia has a painful lesson in our history about freedom – we lost it, and we lost a fifth of our population to Soviet terror. We learnt that you need to fight for your freedom, whatever the odds. Because not fighting is worse. Today Ukrainians and President Zelensky are proving the same thing to the entire world every single day,” she said in her speech.
At a meeting with Austrian industrialists, the prime minister gave an overview of the Estonian economy and invited them to invest in Estonia. “Estonia has low corruption, a good investment climate, an open economy, a highly developed start-up sector, and educated people. Being a member of NATO and contributing three per cent of its GDP to defence, Estonia is protected from an external aggressor,” she said.
Prime minister's speech at the NEOS think tank: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DqanbEHR0o
