TALLINN, June 29 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe Thursday visited Estonia's Tapa military base for enhanced cooperation on the second day of his trip to the Baltic country.
Around 300 French soldiers are based at Tapa as part of the 1,200-strong NATO battalion battle group in Estonia to serve for eight months. The French unit will be rotated by the Danish unit, according to the Estonian Ministry of Defense.
On Wednesday, Philippe met with Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas and President Kersti Kaljulaid to discuss the bilateral relations, the future of the European Union, the priorities of the Estonian Presidency of the EU Council and security issues.
"We highly appreciate the participation of France in the NATO battle group in Estonia. Their presence increases the sense of security and enhances the security of the Baltic states," Ratas said, highlighting the potential for cooperation in the cultural, digital and defense fields in particular for the two countries.
Philippe sees especially great potential for developing economic relations with Estonia in a number of strategic fields, such as the digital economy, renewable energy, transport infrastructure and military procurements.
For her part, Kaljulaid said Estonia and France share the views on the positive future of Europe, hailing France's contribution to the regional security and unity of NATO.
