Upcoming meeting with Putin important for bilateral relations, says Estonian leader

The upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid is very important for the bilateral relations between the two countries, the Estonian leader said on Thursday.

"The meeting is a signal," she said in an interview with the ATV+ channel. "Look, the Estonian diplomats and politicians talk about Russia on the global stage, but it is hard to understand, really, why they are not talking to Russia. Knowing that we have so few points of convergence, it is important to hold this meeting in itself."

She added that during the meeting, they may discuss a wide set of bilateral and international issues.

"We are always talking about Ukraine, about Georgia," the Estonian leader noted. "We are trying to understand the ways of implementing the Minsk agreements. We will discuss the bilateral relations, because we should not forget that Estonia and Russia do have them, after all. We have border cooperation and cultural cooperation. The next EU budget period is ahead of us, and I hope that the EU will maintain the joint Estonian-Russian program [for border cooperation]. Two neighbors always have topics for discussion."

On Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters that Putin plans to meet with Kaljulaid on April 18. The Estonian leader will be visiting Moscow in order to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the country’s embassy after the renovation works have been completed.