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

“In the context of defending the values of the European Union, it is underlined that supporting Ukraine requires achieving a just and lasting peace and compliance with international law. It is also noted that the goal is to strengthen the EU’s role as a promoter of a rules-based international order,” Tali said. “As regards improving competitiveness, we fully agree with the goal of simplifying rules, strengthening trade relationships, lowering energy prices, and accelerating digital development.”

On 1 July, Ireland took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months, focusing on strengthening the economic prosperity, security and core values of the EU. The meeting will also address parliamentary cooperation and democratic resilience in an uncertain world. The meeting of the Chairpersons of the Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs will open with a welcoming address by Verona Murphy, Speaker of Dáil Éireann (lower house of the Parliament of Ireland).

COSAC is a cooperation format that brings together the European Union Affairs Committees of the national parliaments of the 27 EU Member States. The COSAC Plenary Meeting will take place in Dublin on 6–8 December.

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

Link uudisele: Tali discusses Europe’s competitiveness and security with his counterparts in Ireland

“Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has been ongoing for more than four years already. Putin’s regime is unable to achieve a breakthrough on the front and is therefore continuing its massive terrorist attacks against the people of Ukraine, residential areas of its cities, and vital civilian infrastructure. Russia has used air strikes to make the lives of ordinary people in Ukraine as dangerous as possible, in order to break the Ukrainians’ will to defend themselves,” Tali said.

“One of the greatest military challenges for Ukraine is manning its units on the front and mobilisation, and that is precisely why it is neither reasonable nor fair to grant war refugee status to Ukrainian citizens who should be on the front. This is a fundamental change aimed at supporting Ukraine’s ability to continue defending itself,” Tali said, adding that nothing would change for those Ukrainians who already had been granted temporary protection.

Temporary protection grants war refugees the right to live, work and study, as well as access to social services, in European countries. According to the Implementing Decision, temporary protection will be extended until 4 March 2028. Currently, nearly 4.4 million people who have fled Ukraine enjoy temporary protection in the European Union.

The Government’s positions on extending the application of temporary protection to Ukrainian war refugees were presented at the sitting of the European Union Affairs Committee by Minister of the Interior Igor Taro. The European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu decided to approve the positions by consensus.

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

Link uudisele: Riigikogu supports extending temporary protection to Ukrainian war refugees with a restriction

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

The Parliamentary Friendship Group adds that the policy of non-recognition had remained the main feature of official US foreign policy until Estonia regained its independence in 1991. The embassy of the United States of America opened its doors in Tallinn as early as October of the same year.

“The United States have been one of the principal and most trusted allies of the Republic of Estonia for decades. We share a common and firm dedication to strengthening security, promoting economic relations, and defending freedom,” the group writes in its statement.

The statement of the Estonia-USA Parliamentary Friendship Group was signed by the Deputy Chairman Peeter Tali and members Aivar Sõerd, Anti Poolamets, Kristo Enn Vaga, Mario Kadastik, Enn Põlluaas, Annely Akkermann, Vadim Belobrovtsev, Eero Merilind, Heljo Pikhof, Lauri Laats, Ando Kiviberg, Helmen Kütt, Jüri Jaanson, Vladimir Arhipov, Ester Karuse, Raimond Kaljulaid, Kadri Tali, Helle Moonika Helme, Mart Helme, Eerik-Niiles Kross and Kersti Sarapuu.

For more information, please contact:

Peeter Tali
Deputy Chairman of the Estonia-USA Parliamentary Friendship Group
6316556
peeter.tali@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Parliamentary Friendship Group congratulates the people of the United States of America on the 250th anniversary of independence

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

“We support an EU-wide company form, but on the condition that the administrative burden on businesses will be reduced and no unreasonable obligations will be imposed on the public sector,” Tali said. “We support a solution according to which a company can be established within 48 hours, digitally and at low cost, based on model articles of association. However, the provisions that threaten legal certainty, create unjustified restrictions, and increase regulatory fragmentation must be removed from the proposal.”

The positions note that Estonia does not support the provisions on insolvency law in the regulation or addressing tax law issues in this legislative act, as these topics go beyond the scope of the objective of harmonising company law in the internal market, are problematic in terms of Treaty-based competence, and require separate and more thorough consideration.

According to the explanatory memorandum, it is intended to adopt the proposed regulation at the end of the year. Estonia supports the fast time framework of the proposed regulation but points out that speed must not increase the administrative burden on economic operators or impose disproportionate additional costs on the public sector.

The positions of the Government regarding the Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on the 28th Regime Corporate Legal Framework – “EU Inc.” were presented at the sitting of the European Union Affairs Committee by Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta and Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi. The European Union Affairs Committee approved the positions in an amended form by consensus, taking into account the opinion of the Legal Affairs Committee.

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

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu supports simplification of setting up of companies in the European Union

Regarding the committees of the Riigikogu, the biggest burden fell on the Economic Affairs Committee, which was the lead committee for 20 Bills that were passed. The Legal Affairs Committee was the lead committee for 15 Bills, and both the Constitutional Committee and Finance Committee were the lead committees of 12 Bills. Altogether, the 15th Riigikogu has passed 413 legislative acts: 113 of them were passed last year, 130 in 2024 and 70 in 2023.

During the spring session, 81 interpellations of the members of the Riigikogu got a reply, and 17 collective proposals with at least one thousand signatures of support were submitted for parliamentary proceedings.

According to the Constitution of Estonia, regular sessions of the Riigikogu take place from the second Monday of January to the third Thursday of June, and from the second Monday of September to the third Thursday of December. The Riigikogu will convene again for regular sittings on 14 September.

In the meantime, the committees of the Riigikogu will continue their work and members of the Riigikogu will perform their other functions. If necessary, extraordinary sessions may be held between the regular sessions. Extraordinary sessions can be convened by the President of the Riigikogu on the proposal of the President of the Republic, the Government of the Republic or at least 21 members of the Riigikogu.

More information on the legislation and the topics discussed by the Riigikogu

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu concluded its spring session