Estonian parliamentarian to MENA: Security threats to Estonia are quite different from France, Germany

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Estonian Parliament Sven Mikser said security threats to Estonia are quite different from those to France and Germany, citing his country's small population of just 1.4 million people. 

Replying to a question by MENA correspondent about terrorist threats to Estonia, he said national security agencies are cooperating with NATO and neighboring countries to face any terrorist threats.

Fundamentalist terrorist groups are seeking to attract the media's attention, he said, adding his country is not an attractive target for terrorists as it is a small country in northern Europe. 

He went on to say this does not mean that we are not careful in dealing with terrorism, otherwise Estonia will become an attractive target for terrorists. 

Mikser told foreign reporters on Monday that the US Missile Defense System in Poland and Romania aims at providing protection against any Iranian threats.

Mikser said the NATO Missile Defense System has nothing to do with Russia's military build-up in Kaliningrad region, adding Moscow is paying attention to this region with the view to having control over the airspace of both Poland and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania).

Asked about Turkey's recent military coup attempt, he said that his country deems Turkey an important ally and the second biggest NATO spender.

It seems that a coup attempt in a democratic state would not achieve its target, he said, making it clear that his country backs any democratically-elected government. 

As for the impact of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, Mikser said this would not have a dramatic effect on Estonia.

Britain's quit of the EU will have a negative impact on its economy, he concluded.

Source: MENA