Vaga thanked Vice President Hsiao for Taiwan’s warm hospitality, noting that every visit by an Estonian parliamentary delegation further reinforces the friendship between the two countries.

“Taiwan’s remarkable economic success, innovative spirit and societal resilience are an inspiration for Estonia. We see growing opportunities to deepen cooperation in high technology, defence industries, investment and innovation. Today, Estonia and Taiwan are closer than ever before,” Vaga said.

He praised Taiwan’s comprehensive efforts to strengthen its national defence, emphasising that Taiwan is investing not only in modernising its armed forces but also in technological innovation, civil preparedness, cognitive resilience and active diplomacy.

“These reforms demonstrate Taiwan’s determination to safeguard its democracy and freedom. Estonia shares the same approach. This year we are investing 5.4 per cent of our GDP in defence, modernising our armed forces and continuing our unwavering support for Ukraine,” Vaga said.

The meeting also highlighted the rapidly expanding practical cooperation between Estonia and Taiwan. The two countries’ Ministries of Defence continue to exchange expertise, while Estonia is sharing valuable lessons learned from Ukraine’s battlefield experience that contribute to Taiwan’s preparedness. The delegation also discussed growing cooperation between Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) and innovative Estonian defence companies.

Cooperation is also expanding beyond security. Estonia’s development cooperation agency ESTDEV and Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) have signed a strategic cooperation agreement, Taiwania Capital has invested in Estonia’s technology sector, and cultural and educational exchanges continue to deepen. Estonia also reiterated its support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the World Health Organization.

“Although Estonia and Taiwan are separated by geography, we are united by our shared values. Taiwan’s humanitarian assistance to Ukraine demonstrates that it shares our commitment to freedom and is contributing to the victory of freedom on the European continent. At the same time, Estonia and Taiwan have enormous potential to deepen economic cooperation, particularly in the technology sector. Taiwan’s recent investment in the Estonian company Skeleton Technologies marks the beginning of even closer economic ties between our two countries. Freedom, democracy, innovation and an open society—these shared values form the foundation of our partnership and give us the confidence to face future challenges together,” Vaga said.

In addition to Vaga, the Estonia–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group delegation included members of the Riigikogu Peeter Tali, Hanah Lahe, Anti Poolamets, Evelin Poolamets and Kalle Laanet.

During the visit, the delegation met with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, Speaker of the Legislative Yuan Han Kuo-yu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister of National Defense, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, representatives of the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), the leadership of the National Palace Museum, representatives of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the state-backed Taiwania Capital investment fund.

The meetings focused on strengthening parliamentary cooperation between Estonia and Taiwan, security and defence issues, cooperation in defence industries and high technology, investment, cultural exchange, and closer coordination among democratic countries in support of the rules-based international order.

For more information, please contact:

Kristo Enn Vaga
Chair of the Estonia–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group
+372 5626 7733
kristoenn.vaga@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Estonia–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group Meets Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim: Estonia and Taiwan Are Closer Than Ever

All three committees of the OSCE PA will have meetings during the Annual Session. Pikhof is a member of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. She will also take part in the traditional meeting on women’s rights and represent Estonia at the meeting of Nordic and Baltic countries (NB8) and the US delegation.

Over 250 parliamentarians from North America, Europe, and Central Asia are taking part in the Assembly. Over several days, the parliamentarians are working in committees to discuss resolutions on Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, hybrid threats, strategic competition in the Arctic, and developments in the Middle East. Other topics include climate change, competition over resources, demographic changes, drug trade, cyber security, and management of AI. The Session should end with the adoption of the Hague declaration on Wednesday.

The aim of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is to increase the involvement of its participating states in resolving European political and security issues, to enhance civilian control over military affairs, and to strengthen the responsibility and influence of members of parliament.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Heljo Pikhof is at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session in the Netherlands

Hussar underlined that ahead of the NATO Summit taking place in Ankara, Türkiye, on 7 and 8 July, it was crucial to maintain focus on ensuring that allies continue to strengthen their defence capabilities and implement the decision to raise defence spending to five percent of GDP. “The threat from Russia remains unchanged, and the Allies are committed to unity, but we nevertheless face difficult discussions in Ankara on how to get all countries to contribute equally to defence. The Baltic States serve as an important example for other countries in this regard,” he noted.

Hussar and Rinkēvičs also discussed support for Ukraine, ways to counter Russia’s shadow fleet, the situation in the Middle East, and improving connections between the two countries through road and rail construction projects.

Chairman of the Estonia-Latvia Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu and Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee and member of the National Defence Committee Peeter Tali also attended the meeting.

The visit of the President of Latvia to Estonia began yesterday with his arrival on the island of Ruhnu, where he was greeted by President of Estonia Alar Karis. Today, Rinkēvičs is in Tallinn, where he laid a wreath at the Monument to the War of Independence, visited the National Library of Estonia and attended the Livonia Award ceremony. He will also meet with Prime Minister Kristen Michal and visit the Mine Harbour Naval Base. Tomorrow, he will visit Kumu Art Museum.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu

Riigikogu Press Service
Maris Meiessaar
+372 631 6353, +372 5558 3993
maris.meiessaar@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Hussar to the President of Latvia: We must keep defence spending at five percent

The President of the Riigikogu also stressed the need to increase pressure on Russia and support to Ukraine. “Russia will only change course when it realises that a victory in unattainable,” he said. Hussar promoted the idea of a future NATO membership for Ukraine, and allies ensuring the much-needed military aid to Ukraine.

Hussar also highlighted the importance of allied unity. “Peace is never given free and weakness always has a price,” he said.

The NATO Parliamentary Summit started on Sunday and is a prelude to the NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye, on 7 and 8 July. On June 28, the President of the Riigikogu met his Turkish counterpart Numan Kurtulmuş. Both speakers agreed that our parliaments enjoyed excellent bilateral relations and Hussar also extended Kurtulmuş an invitation to Estonia.

Riigikogu Press Service
Maiki Vaikla
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
maiki.vaikla@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Hussar in Istanbul: Strong defence and support to Ukraine form the foundation of NATO security

The concert, entitled “Music that Speaks Louder than Thousand Words”, reflects the experiences and traumatic events in the lives of many Ukrainian children now in Estonia. “Music is a universal medium that allows us to bring together different nations through shared experiences,” emphasises the head of the Estonian Delegation Kadri Tali.

The concert takes place at 1 p.m. on June 24 in the Lobby of the Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg. The piano concert is performed by Havryil Sydoryk, the Ukrainian-Estonian pianist who won the Estonian Television young classical musicians competition in 2025. The patron of the event is the President of the PACE Petra Bayr, while the Estonian Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas will say words of introduction. The head of the Ukrainian delegation to the PACE Mariia Mezentseva-Fedorenko and member of the Estonian delegation Eerik-Niiles Kross will also speak.

“The life of the young Ukrainian pianist Havryil Sydoryk took an unexpected turn after he fled the war. He now performs on great stages around the world on the strength of the education he received in Estonia,” said Tali. She added that the concert was dedicated to the lost children of Ukraine who have not only been removed from their families, but also their culture and roots. “We hope to use the concert to improve awareness of the situation of Ukrainian children and the young Ukrainian talents who live among us and need our support more than ever to keep their culture and identity alive. This is not just a national mission, but a moral obligation. It is not a question of choice, but of human rights,” she said.

The PACE Summer Session, which starts today, focuses on the protection of the rule of law and democracy. Today’s agenda includes presentations on election observation missions to Hungary and Bulgaria. As part of the Presidency of the Council of Europe, the Minister of State of Monaco Christophe Mirmand will speak to the Assembly. The Tuesday agenda includes the functioning of democratic institutions in Serbia, as well as the state of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Iran. On Wednesday, the Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas will speak on protecting democracy from disruptions caused by AI. Members of parliament will also discuss eliminating gender stereotypes in the media, reports on silencing critical voices in Azerbaijan, functioning of democratic institutions in Georgia, and ensuring food security.

Other topics that will hopefully be added to the agenda include a discussion on the access of women to the court system, follow-up activities of the Chișinău Declaration, the fate of the Chinese political prisoner Jimmy Lai, the functioning of the Turkish court system and the suppression of the opposition, as well as the protection of the right to education in Gaza.

The Estonian delegation includes in addition to Kadri Tali and member Eerik-Niiles Kross, who recently chaired a much-publicised sitting of the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in the Riigikogu, also Aleksei Jevgrafov.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merje Meisalu
+372 631 6300, +372 529 9512
merje.meisalu@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Estonian delegation to the PACE presents in Strasbourg the story of a young Ukrainian who found his wings at an Estonian school

“Our message to the whole world has remained the same for years—pressure on Russia and continued support to Ukraine must continue. Estonia has experienced how a poor country was built into a strong and developed nation in a short time after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But we had the support and solidarity of other developed nations. We must offer the same support to Ukraine,” Hussar said. The parties discussed launching a joint pilot project in Zviahel, Ukraine, with focus on developing the rehabilitation and social system of the region.

Grand Master Dunlap explained that the Order of Malta is currently working on 74 different missions in Ukraine, and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to enhance cooperation with Estonia. He declared the Order ready to contribute to our local projects as well, referring to the cooperation agreement signed between Estonia and the Order today, which lays the foundation for possible expansion of the activities of Knights Hospitaller in health care provision in Estonia.

The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, i.e. the Order of Malta, is a Catholic order founded in 1099. As a sovereign subject of international law, the Order maintains diplomatic relations with 110 sovereign states, including 19 EU Member States and the European Union. The mission of the Order is to assist the poor and the suffering around the world. 

Estonia established diplomatic relations with the Order of Malta in 2020. The Embassy of the Order was opened in Tallinn in 2023. The cooperation agreement signed today creates opportunities to cooperate in the fields of health care services, social welfare, volunteering, proactive disaster preparedness, humanitarian aid, and refugee integration in Estonia as well as Ukraine.

Riigikogu Press Service
Maiki Vaikla
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
maiki.vaikla@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Hussar to Grand Master of the Order of Malta: Russia is an aggressor and Ukraine must be helped on its feet

Hussar and Kulbergs also discussed the issue of the timely completion of Rail Baltic. “It is very important to us that Rail Baltic be completed on schedule,” Hussar affirmed Estonia’s commitment to the joint infrastructure project. “We must stand united to secure funding for the railway’s construction under the European Union’s new multiannual financial framework,” he said.

Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Peeter Tali and President of the Baltic Assembly Timo Suslov also participated in the meeting.

During his two-day visit to Tallinn, Kulbergs will also meet with Prime Minister Kristen Michal and President of the Republic Alar Karis, and attend the meeting of the Prime Ministers of the Nordic Countries and the Baltic States (NB8).

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Riigikogu Press Service
Maris Meiessaar
+372 631 6353, +372 5558 3993
maris.meiessaar@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Hussar to the Prime Minister of Latvia: We are committed to the timely completion of Rail Baltic

Due to the exercise, a recess was declared in the sitting of the Riigikogu. During the exercise, guests cannot enter the Riigikogu buildings.

The purpose of a sheltering exercise is to assess how quickly and smoothly everyone in the castle can reach the shelters located within the building on a typical workday, and to identify any shortcomings in the current sheltering plan that may need to be addressed.

“Conducting this exercise does not mean that Estonia’s security situation has recently deteriorated sharply. This is an exercise that has been planned long in advance,” President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar said. “I very much hope that we will never actually have to experience such sheltering or such a situation. But at the same time, we must under no circumstances become so comfortable, lazy or indifferent that we would not think through and practice for such situations and would not be prepared for them if necessary.”

The nationwide comprehensive defence exercise ILVES 2026 takes place across Estonia from 8 to 12 June, and thousands of people from more than 150 organisations are participating in it. The exercise involves state agencies, local governments, companies and volunteers, and its goal is to practice leadership and cooperation in resolving various crisis situations and ensuring the continuity of the state and society.

Preparations for ILVES 2026 have been ongoing for almost a year. The exercise will focus on how to successfully deal with influence activities by a hostile state, including situations like information operations, large-scale public disorder, sabotage, explosions and drone threats. The Emergency Act provides for the regular organisation of such exercises and drills, and states that nationwide crisis-management exercises must be carried out at least once every four years.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu/

Riigikogu Press Service
Urmas Seaver
+372 631 6350, +372 503 9907
urmas.seaver@riigikogu.ee

Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: ILVES 2026 sheltering exercise started in the Riigikogu

Nearly a hundred parliamentarians from more than 30 national parliaments will observe the parliamentary elections in Armenia as a part of the OSCE PA election observation mission. On the election day, the observers will monitor the election procedures, the counting of votes and the legitimacy of conducting the elections. The purpose of the mission is to make sure that the elections adhere to the democratic commitments contained in the OSCE’s 1990 Copenhagen Document.

Election observation missions have been an important part of OSCE’s activities since 1993. The OSCE mission is observing elections in Armenia for the 12th time since 1995.

The observers’ preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference on Monday, 8 June. The press conference can be followed on the website of the OSCE PA.

For more information, please contact:
Mati Raidma +372 507 4112
Heljo Pikhof +372 511 9637
Kersti Sarapuu +372 503 9113

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Members of the Riigikogu observe parliamentary elections in Armenia

“This anniversary marks a significant milestone in the history of the Republic of Estonia and holds a special place in the history of European Jewish communities as well. The Law on Cultural Autonomy of Ethnic Minorities, which was passed in 1925, gave Estonian Jews the opportunity to establish their own cultural self-government – a step that earned international recognition and affirmed that the young Republic of Estonia was committed to freedom, equality, and respect for the rights of minorities.

When Estonia gained independence, that brought about a fundamental change in the lives of the local Jews. The Jewish community, who had lived under various foreign powers over the centuries, was granted full civil rights and the opportunity to freely develop their culture, education, and community life in the Republic of Estonia. Jewish cultural autonomy in Estonia became a model that attracted interest in many other countries as well.

Already one hundred years ago, relations began to develop between Estonia and the builders of the Jewish national home in Palestine, which was under the British Mandate at that time. The Republic of Estonia was the first country to be entered into the Golden Book of the Jewish National Fund in recognition of the cultural autonomy granted by Estonia to the Jewish community.

The occupations that began in 1940 led to a violent disruption of Jewish cultural autonomy in Estonia. The occupation by the Soviet Union destroyed the cultural self-governance of ethnic minorities and an independent civil society. The Nazi German occupation that followed sought to destroy the Estonian Jewish community itself.

When the Republic of Estonia was restored in 1991, the Jewish community was given the opportunity to continue where the development of free Estonia had been interrupted half a century earlier. Today, the Estonian Jewish community is a viable, visible, and valued part of Estonian society and an important bridge between Estonia and Israel and the entire wider Jewish world.

The active cultural, educational, and social activities of the Estonian Jewish community demonstrate that the tradition established a century ago continues to live on today. The state of Estonia considers it important to ensure that the Jewish community can continue to safely and freely maintain and further develop its identity, culture and religious life.

The current friendly and close relations between Estonia and Israel are based on shared values – democracy, the rule of law, freedom and respect for human dignity. These relations are also built on the significant contribution of the Estonian Jewish community to the development of our society over many generations.

As we celebrate the centenary of Jewish cultural autonomy, we proudly recall a significant achievement of Estonian democracy and tolerance, and we pay tribute to the Estonian Jewish community for its contribution to our shared history and present day. Together, we look confidently to the future.

Congratulations on the 100th anniversary of Jewish cultural autonomy in Estonia!

Am Yisrael Chai!“

The Estonia-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu is composed of Chairman Eerik-Niiles Kross and members Vadim Belobrovtsev, Meelis Kiili, Lauri Laats, Juku-Kalle Raid, Riina Sikkut, Aivar Sõerd, Peeter Tali, Vilja Toomast and Kristo Enn Vaga.

For more information, please contact:
Eerik-Niiles Kross
Chairman of Estonia-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group
eerik-niiles.kross@riigikogu.ee

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Estonia-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group celebrates the 100th anniversary of Jewish cultural autonomy in Estonia