Prime Minister of Estonia Jüri Ratas: sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine must be fully restored

“The bilateral relations between Estonia and Ukraine are powerful, strong and positive. We will continue to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”, Prime Minister of Estonia Jüri Ratas stated at the 10^th Kyiv Security Forum held by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation Open Ukraine.

“We see constant attempts to undermine peace and international order in the world, including in Europe. The future of Ukraine will determine the entire architecture of the European security in the coming decades”, the head of the Estonian government noted.

“But we mustn’t give up. Instead, we must work together to ensure peace, stability, and security in Europe. Estonia’s stance is clear – sanctions should remain till Russia expresses full respect for the principles of international law and fully abides by all the requirements of the Minsk agreements. Thus the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine must be restored”, he said. Jüri Ratas stressed that Estonia would never agree with the annexation of the Crimea and expressed concern about the ongoing militarization of the peninsula and the violation of human rights there.

According to the Prime Minister of Estonia, for the recent three years, the Ukrainian people have been selflessly defending their European choice. At the same time, to integrate into the EU, Ukraine should not just stand up against the Russian aggression but to carry out reforms. “You did a lot, but still a lot should be done. The best response to Russian aggression is successful, politically strong and united Ukraine”, he said.

Jüri Ratas reminded that in less than three months Estonia would start its presidency in the EU. “We have scheduled the next summit of the Eastern partnership for November in Brussels. This is a good opportunity for the leaders of Ukraine to present the results of your reforms and to strengthen our cooperation” the Prime Minister added.

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Kyiv Security Forum was launched by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation Open Ukraine in 2007 is an annual international event to high-level discussions on the current issues in the Black Sea region and wider Europe. The Forum aims at increasing security cooperation between the EU and the Black Sea region, raising awareness about regional developments among key regional players, promoting the role of independent and non-governmental actors in setting the security agenda in Europe.