Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and General Riho Terras, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, recognised the commitment and skills of the Estonian troops serving in missions and recently visited the headquarters of the peacekeeping mission UNIFIL of the United Nations that celebrated its 40th anniversary.

“For Estonia, security involves more than regional policies, as peace and security can only be attained if we also help others and not only think of ourselves. We value highly the professionalism of our Defence Forces in ensuring security and stability in the Middle East and creating a safer environment for the people in the region,” Ratas said. 

The Prime Minister thanked UNIFIL Major General Michael Beary; Colonel Lieutenant Neil Nolan, Commander of the joint Finnish-Irish Battalion; and Ari Laaksonen, Colonel Lieutenant of the Finnish contingent, for their excellent cooperation with the Estonian unit.

“UNIFIL has been our largest contribution to operations since 2015. It has been a valuable experience for our Defence Forces and it has helped us obtain a better understanding of the events of the Middle East. Any hostile actions and instability in the Middle East will affect the security, unity, and well-being of NATO allies as well as of the European Union,” said Ratas. However, he confirmed that Estonia’s security situation is currently stable.

The UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL was established in 1978 and Estonia has been participating in UNIFIL since the spring of 2015. Currently, 38 members of the Defence Forces serve in the joint Finnish-Irish battalion. The members will be replaced by the next group of Estonian soldiers in May.

The objective of UNIFIL is to ensure peace and security in Southern Lebanon and help the Lebanese government exercise state authority. UNIFIL also supports the provision of humanitarian aid to people in need and the voluntary and safe return home of internal refugees.

Since 1997, Estonia has also participated in the UN observer mission UNTSO in Lebanon, the objective of which is to monitor compliance with international treaties by Israel and its four neighbouring countries – Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Estonia contributes to UNTSO with military observers and the head of the observation group.

Estonia will continue participating in international military operations. In June, the Defence Forces will send 40 more troops to Afghanistan and the government has proposed to the Riigikogu to deploy up to 50 soldiers to the Republic of Mali for the one-year Barkhane mission led by France.