Prime Minister Kallas considered it important that in preparation for the likely next waves of infection, EU Member States also share their lessons not only in the field of health, but also in crisis management. ‘The crisis, which has lasted for more than a year, has given us experience that can help us prepare for the future and for the spread of new strains,’ said Kallas. ‘We certainly need to safeguard the functioning of the internal market so that goods could move and the economy would not grind to a halt,’ the Prime Minister added.
It is also important for Estonia that the EU COVID digital passport continues to work smoothly and that travel is unrestricted. To date, 23 Member States have already joined the EU COVID digital certificate system and 17 Member States already issue digital certificates to prove vaccination, having had the illness, or testing.
On the basis of last week’s report from the European Commission, EU leaders discussed key lessons to be taken forward by the incoming Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in order to enhance common crisis preparedness among Member States.
The Council also continued to stress the importance of international solidarity in the distribution of vaccines to help non-EU countries cope with the coronavirus crisis. Last week, the Government decided that Estonia will donate 900,000 surplus doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to countries in need to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The current Council started with a meeting of EU Heads of State and Government with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The meeting discussed how to better resolve global challenges and conflicts by working together.
Prime Minister Kallas spoke about cybersecurity and digitalisation and the need to promote a stable and secure cyberspace. ‘Estonia has been active on cybersecurity issues, with the aim of raising awareness of cyber threats,’ the Prime Minister said. Next week, on 29 June, Prime Minister Kallas will chair the first ever formal debate on cyber security at the UN Security Council.
Kallas also spoke about climate challenges and noted that Estonia is making preparations together with the United Nations to create the Data for the Environment Alliance. According to Kallas, the aim is to improve the collection and use of environmental data around the world.
As President of the UN Security Council, Estonia led the process that resulted in the Security Council recommending the UN General Assembly to appoint Guterres as Secretary-General for a second term.
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stenbockimaja/albums/72157719455432881/with/51268724815/
