14:22 05.03.2016

Defense ministry ready to cooperate with Estonia in bilateral format, as part of NATO, EU, OSCE

2 min read
Defense ministry ready to cooperate with Estonia in bilateral format, as part of NATO, EU, OSCE

First Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Ivan Rusnak and Head of Group for Inter-parliamentary Relations with Ukraine of the Estonian Parliament Iohannes Kert at a meeting on March 3 discussed the situation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone, the state of the implementation of Minsk agreements and the Russian military presence in eastern Ukraine, the press service of the Defense Ministry has reported.

The sides also discussed the course of the reforms in the Defense Ministry of Ukraine in the context of integration to the NATO and EU, aspects of regional security and the key issues of defense cooperation between the two countries.

Ukraine continues taking actions for the conflict de-escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and implementing Minsk agreements, Rusnak said.

He also said that this year the Defense Ministry starts the active phase of the reforms of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"Jointly with foreign experts and advisors at the Defense Ministry and Armed Forces of Ukraine, the key reforms of the Defense Ministry and Armed Forces of Ukraine have been designed to approach them to the NATO standards. We plan to finish the reforms by 2020," Rusnak said.

He said that the Defense Ministry of Ukraine is ready to continue cooperation with Estonia, as well as in the framework of the NATO, EU, and OSCE. The Ministry is interested in the development of cooperation in military education and professional training, WIA rehabilitation, as well as obtaining of advisory assistance from Estonian colleagues.

Kert said that the exchange of opinions on today's challenges and threats, possibilities of resisting a threat to national integrity and the search for new mutually beneficial ways of cooperation are very helpful for Ukraine and Estonia.

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