(L-R) Dr Mart Noorma, Director of the CCDCOE; Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence;
Credit: MAE
Luxembourg’s Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, paid a working visit to Estonia on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 October 2024; during a meeting with her Estonian counterpart, Hanno Pevkur, the security situation on NATO's eastern flank, the deterrence and defence posture of NATO countries and fair burden sharing were on the agenda.
"Luxembourg takes collective security very seriously," stressed Minister Backes, adding: "We must invest in our defence capabilities in order to preserve peace." The Ministers of Defence also discussed the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, in particular the progress of the work of the IT Coalition, the capability coalition under the joint leadership of Estonia and Luxembourg.
Together with Minister Pevkur, Minister Backes visited the Ämari air base. At the beginning of 2024, the two ministers concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the contribution of the Luxembourg Defence of €12 million to the rehabilitation and modernisation of this air base, which is crucial for NATO's air policing mission in the Baltic region and thus for the integrity and security of the airspace of the allied countries.
"The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine clearly shows us that we must strengthen our common deterrence and defence. Luxembourg is proud to contribute to the common effort and the security of our airspace by supporting the renovation of the Ämari base," said Minister Backes during the visit. The Minister of Defence visited the premises of the Cyber Range 14 (CR14) organisation, a foundation established by the Estonian Ministry of Defence, which draws on more than ten years of experience in the field of military and civilian cyber ranges.
The programme also included a visit to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). This NATO centre of excellence, sponsored by the 32 NATO Allies and seven partner countries, provides a space for collaboration on issues related to cyber operations. Currently, an expert from the Directorate of Defence is seconded to the CCDCOE, the ministry added. On the sidelines of her visit, Minister Backes signed a declaration on funding scholarships for academics from Ukraine within the framework of a CCDCOE study programme. "For Luxembourg, supporting Ukraine in every possible way remains a priority. Given the growing cyber threats, the importance of ICT in the military field and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, I am pleased to sign this declaration of support that will enable Ukrainian academics to undertake internships at CCDCOE," said Minister Backes.
During her visit to the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments, the Minister exchanged views with the Director of the Centre, Magnus-Valdmar Saar, on the Centre’s organisation and tasks, on Estonian projects supported by Luxembourg, as well as on investments in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
