Chiefs of Defence Command of Finland and of Estonia discussed co-operation

Chief of Defence Command, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen and Chief of the Joint Headquarters of Estonia, Major General Enno Mõts met in Estonia on 26–27 September 2023.

Chiefs of Defence Command of Finland and of Estonia meet on an annual basis. The objective of the present meeting was to exchange up-to-date situation picture on the security situation of the North and of the Baltic region as well as to discuss defence co-operation between Finland and Estonia. At the meeting, observations on the war in Ukraine and its effects on, for instance, military training were also discussed.

According to Lieutenant General Virtanen, Estonia is a long-term good partner of Finland and now also an important ally nation. 

– Co-operation between our nations is active concerning all services. I thank my colleague, Major General Mõts, for open discussion and exchange of thoughts. We established a good common picture on co-operation in-progress and agreed on its next concrete steps, Lieutenant General Virtanen says.

Major General Enno Mõts welcomes the deepening defence co-operation with Finland.

– It was an honour to meet the Finnish delegation to discuss the security situation and military cooperation between our forces within the alliance. I am grateful to LG Vesa Virtanen for the visit. Our nations have tightened the relations in state defence and Estonia has lot to gain from the high-standard professionalism that characterises our northern overseas neighbour, Major General Mõts says.

Alongside discussion and exchange of information, the generals visited the 1st Infantry Brigade’s base at Tapa and familiarised with the UK-led eFP (Enhanced Forward Presence) force in Estonia. 

– We were impressed with the allied soldiers of the 1st Infantry Brigade of Estonia and of the multinational eFP force, their attitude, professionalism and competence. It was an honour to get to familiarise with their operating, Lieutenant General Virtanen says.

The purpose of NATO’s eFP activity is to strengthen the allies’ presence in Eastern Europe and to improve readiness for responding to any security threats in the region. The main idea is to deploy allied soldiers as rotated troops in Eastern Europe and in the Baltic states. 

MG Enno Mõts (left), LG Vesa Virtanen and COL Andrus Merilo.