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Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal: Lithuania, Estonia and the Nordic-Baltic countries must act together where unity is essential

Lithuania, Estonia and the other Nordic-Baltic countries cannot afford to compete where they must act in unity, stressed the Prime Ministers of Lithuania and Estonia during Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius’ working visit to Tallinn on Thursday.

During the visit, Prime Minister M. Sinkevičius discussed key issues of bilateral cooperation with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.

"A few days ago, we marked the anniversary of the Baltic Way, a historic event for our nations. Then, we stood together in pursuit of freedom; today, we must remain united in safeguarding it. Even closer cooperation between the Baltic and Nordic countries is essential for the security of our region, and Estonia’s role in this effort is irreplaceable," said Prime Minister M. Sinkevičius.

Particular attention during the meeting was devoted to the regional security situation and hybrid threats, as well as attempts by Russia and Belarus to test the resilience of the European Union’s external borders and create tensions in the region and across Europe.

As the Prime Ministers of Lithuania and Estonia noted, both countries will continue to act in solidarity, resisting any attempts at intimidation, prioritising defence spending, and maintaining steadfast support for Ukraine and its fight for freedom.

Defence industry cooperation was highlighted as a key component of security. Rather than competing with one another, countries should develop joint projects, expand production capacities, foster innovation, pursue interoperability of military equipment, and seek more efficient public procurement solutions.

The discussion also focused extensively on competitiveness and strategic infrastructure projects, including Rail Baltica and Via Baltica. Prime Minister M. Sinkevičius stressed the importance of consistently securing support for these projects at the EU level, particularly ahead of negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union.

While discussing the EU agenda, both sides underlined that the future EU Multiannual Financial Framework must adequately reflect the specific circumstances of countries located on the EU’s eastern flank and ensure a proper balance between security and economic growth.

The leaders also discussed Lithuania’s priorities for its Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2027, as well as the importance of close Lithuanian-Estonian cooperation in advancing those priorities.

The Prime Ministers emphasised the importance of the Baltic Council of Ministers and the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) formats in strengthening the region and amplifying its voice. They also reaffirmed their support for EU enlargement and for the European aspirations of Ukraine and Moldova.