WASHINGTON –
Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Estonian Defense Minister
Hannes Hanso met at the Pentagon yesterday to discuss the defense relationship
between their nations, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.
In a statement summarizing the meeting, Cook said Carter
thanked Hanso for Estonia's support for operations in Afghanistan, Africa and
the Balkans, and for its support for the coalition's campaign to counter the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
“The secretary underscored the importance of accelerating
the defeat of ISIL and expressed appreciation to Minister Hanso for Estonia's
willingness to consider sending trainers to support the Iraqi security forces
later this year,” Cook said.
Carter and Hanso also discussed Russia's destabilizing
activities in Europe, including the Baltic region, the press secretary said,
and the continued threat posed by this concerning behavior.
NATO Summit
The defense leaders also discussed the upcoming NATO summit
in Warsaw, Poland, and the importance of enhancing allies' readiness to address
and deter threats across NATO's eastern and southern flanks, Cook said.
“Secretary Carter reinforced the United States' enduring and
ironclad commitment to Estonia's security, as demonstrated through the
increasing U.S. force presence in Europe, the European Reassurance Initiative,
and the robust schedule of joint military exercises in the region,” he added.
The secretary also thanked his Estonian counterpart for
hosting U.S. and NATO forces in Estonia, and for Estonia's leadership in
consistently meeting NATO's defense spending goal, Cook said.
In addition, the press secretary said, the two defense
leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation on a range of fronts, particularly on
defensive cyber capabilities through the Tallinn-based and NATO-accredited
Cyber Defense Center of Excellence, as well as on defense industrial
activities.