Stenbock House, 20 January 2017 – Today, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas congratulated Donald Trump on taking office as the 45th President of the United States of America, and expressed in a letter his wish to maintain and further develop already very good relations between the two countries, a friendship which has been invaluable throughout the history of Estonia.
"The bond between the US and Estonia could not be stronger. We are allies in NATO. It is precisely American support to security in Europe and American military presence in Estonia which helps maintain peace in our part of the world. Peace and security have provided us with a valuable opportunity to transform our country into one of the most advanced digital societies in the world. This, in return, has helped us to create strong capabilities and know-how in cyber defence. The US can always count on Estonia,” stressed Prime Minister Ratas in his letter to President Donald Trump.
Ratas also pointed out that war against terrorism is our joint duty, where Estonia will always play its role. After the 9/11 terror attacks, Estonia was one of the first countries to deploy its troops and we have always been with the US in the most difficult regions in the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. Despite the painful losses, Estonia continues to fight against terrorism in the Middle East, Africa and as part of the anti-ISIS coalition to make the world a safer place. Prime Minister Ratas also emphasised the importance of promoting the defence matters in Europe and the principle that every Allied nation should spend at least 2% of GDP on defence. Estonia and the US are among the five NATO allies that have been fulfilling this vital and legitimate criterion.
Prime Minister Ratas also thanked the President and the people of the US for their generous support to the Estonians who fled the Soviet occupation and found their second home in the United States.
The Prime Minister expressed his willingness to meet with President Trump as well as with the Vice-President Pence in the nearest future, be it bilaterally or under the auspices of the NATO Summit or the Estonian Presidency of the European Union.