EPP-ED Presidency, Tallinn: Security, EU-Russia, Baltic Sea Strategy, Cyber Defence on the agenda
The meeting of the EPP-ED Presidency and Heads of National Delegations opened this morning in Tallinn with welcome messages from Joseph Daul MEP, Chairman of the EPP-ED Group, Tunne Kelam MEP, Head of the Estonian Delegation, and Mart Laar, Chairman of the Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit (IRL) Party and former Prime Minister of Estonia.
Joseph Daul said it was symbolic that this meeting was taking place 5 years almost to the day of Estonian accession to the European Union and 60 years after the deportation to Siberia of some 100,000 Estonian and other Baltic country citizens. Referring to the current economic crisis, he said that Europe must protect without becoming protectionist and we must promote the social market economy to bring Europe through this crisis.
Tunne Kelam MEP welcomed the EPP-ED Members to Tallinn and recalled the spirit of solidarity that the EPP-ED political family has always shown towards Estonia; he referred in particular to the support of the EPP-ED two years ago during the foreign-inspired riots in Estonia and more recently when the EPP-ED successfully promoted a Resolution, adopted by the European Parliament, on the crimes of criminal dictatorships. Concluding his remarks, Mr Kelam said that in all areas of policy - security, economic and social - the EPP-ED was best equipped to lead Europe out of the economic crisis.
Mart Laar, Chairman of the IRL, welcomed the Members of the European Parliament and said that the continuing solidarity of Europe's largest political family was much appreciated in Estonia. Looking back, he said that the EPP-ED Group was almost the only political group to defend human rights and democracy and work for the reunification of Europe. Without this support, EU enlargement could not have taken place so quickly and successfully. The EPP-ED has shown its solidarity in real concrete acts over the years. "The EPP-ED is still the driving force of Europe", he concluded.
The meeting continues in Tallinn with debates on Europe's external borders and relations with Russia today and sessions on the Baltic Sea Strategy and Internet Security on Friday.
For further information:
Robert Fitzhenry, Head of the EPP-ED Press Service, Tel: +32-475-493356
Notes to Editors:
The EPP-ED Group is the largest political group in the European Parliament with 288 Members from all 27 Member States.
