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Tsahkna: Without NATO membership our independence would be questioned

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

29.03.2024

Today 29 March, Estonia celebrates the 20th anniversary of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO. To mark the day, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that the importance of NATO in ensuring Estonia's security, prosperity and stability in the long term could not be overestimated.

"It cannot be ruled out that without NATO membership, our independence would have been threatened by now," the minister said on the occasion of the anniversary. "It is possible that if Estonia had remained in the so-called grey zone, what we are currently seeing in Ukraine could have taken place on our territory."

Tsahkna recognised all politicians and diplomats whose efforts across more than 10 years preceding our NATO accession eventually took Estonia into the Alliance.

"Our path to joining the Alliance was far from smooth and straightforward; instead, it came about thanks to hard work and a coincidence of circumstances," Tsahkna said.

The minister also recalled that next week, NATO is celebrating its 75th anniversary. "NATO's open door policy has made the Alliance stronger than ever ahead of its big anniversary," Tsahkna noted. "As NATO is the only security guarantee Russia understands, we expect Ukraine to become a member of the Alliance as soon as possible."

On Wednesday, a round table was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark the anniversary, with Estonian Ambassador to NATO Jüri Luik and previous ambassadors Harri Tiido, Sulev Kannike and Kyllike Sillaste-Elling talking about the Alliance in the past and now.