President Lennart Meri had a working meeting with the Acting Commander of the Defence Forces Colonel Märt Tiru and the Commander of the General Staff of the Defence Forces Lieutenant Colonel Aarne Ermus, in Kadriorg today.

Colonel Tiru reported on his visit to Denmark, where a regular meeting of the Commanders of the Defence Forces of the Baltic and Nordic Countries had taken place, and also on his visit to the peacekeeping troops who are on a mission in Bosnia. On the meeting, the leaders of the defence forces also gave the President an overview of the meeting between the delegations of NATO and Estonia last week, where Estonia's capability to fulfil NATO partnership goals had been discussed.

Also the development of the Estonian defence forces last year and the plans for this year were discussed on the meeting. Lieutenant Colonel Ermus informed the President of the development priorities of the navy and the air forces as well as the Defence League for the year 2000. The President of the Republic considered it important that the Association of the Reserve Officers and the Defence League should co-operate more efficiently, and that the reserve officers should participate in the work of the Defence League.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, January 31, 2000

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