On Wednesday, (July 2), Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar met his Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) in Tallinn.

In a joint press conference after the meeting, Saar announced that Israel will open an embassy in the Estonian capital. The main topics of the meeting between Tsahkna and Saar were bilateral political and economic relations, Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the security situation in the Middle East.

"Israel will soon open its embassy in Tallinn," Sa'ar said at a joint press conference with Tsahkna after the meeting, but did not provide further details.

"This shows our desire to strengthen our relations. And we will do it soon," Sa'ar added. "This important step will strengthen our economic and military cooperation, help us address shared challenges and take our relationship to new heights."

Sa'ar said that Israel's operations against the Iranian regime, as well as other parties, directly strengthens European security. "Our operation was a success. Iran's nuclear program was a major threat to the international community," he said.

According to the Israeli foreign minister, Iran's ballistic missile program also posed a threat to Europe and Israel caused severe damage to it.

"We also undermined Iran's drone stockpiles – the same technology that Russia is using against Ukraine," he added.

Iran announced on Wednesday that it was suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Sa'ar called on the international community to respond.

Sa'ar said the war in Gaza would end as soon as Hamas releases the hostages it took on October 7, 2023. "Hamas is still holding 50 hostages in brutal captivity. The war could end tomorrow if they are released and disarmed. Our desire for a hostage deal and ceasefire is serious," he said.

"This war is not only an Israeli war," Sa'ar continued. "This is a global war between the free world and the Iranian terrorist axis. The Iranian Islamist axis includes Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iraqi factions and Palestinian terrorists. They are supported by totalitarian states – China, Russia and North Korea."

Sa'ar  said Israel is the only democratic state in the Middle East and a strategic partner for Europe in the region. He also stressed Israel's support for Ukraine.

At the press conference, ERR journalist Astrid Kannel asked the Israeli foreign minister what his country has done to support Ukraine.

"We understand Ukraine as a country under fire. We supported Ukraine politically, in almost all votes in international forums we have supported Ukraine. We have also supported Ukraine with humanitarian aid throughout the war. We helped Ukrainian citizens to come to our country. We supplied Ukraine with alarm systems," Sa'ar replied.

"But I will tell you something else," he added. "We strongly supported Ukraine when we struck a blow against Iran, because Iran is Russia's number one ally in this war. I don't know of anybody else who has given that kind of support."

Tsahkna: Opening embassy in Tallinn takes Estonian-Israeli relations to new level

Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti) said at the meeting with Sa'ar that Israel is an important and close partner for Estonia.

"Today's decision to open an embassy in Tallinn in the near future is significant and will take relations between Estonia and Israel to a new level," Tsahkna said.

The foreign minister that Estonia is very interested in learning from Israel's experience in the areas of civil protection and innovation. "Estonia is happy to share its experience in the digital field, in which my Israeli colleague has expressed great interest," Tsahkna said.

The ministers discussed Russia's war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and Israeli support for Ukraine. "As frontline countries, we share similar security concerns," Tsahkna said. "Therefore, it is important that we are on the same page when it comes to standing up for our common security."

"Russia's aggression in Ukraine is not just a regional problem, as its impact extends far beyond Europe's borders and affects both the Middle East and the wider international order. We call on all democracies, including Israel, to give Ukraine all the help they can offer," he added.

Tsahkna said the humanitarian crisis in Gaza requires rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access in order to protect civilians and alleviate suffering.

"A sustainable Israeli-Palestinian future is imperative – Estonia remains committed to the two-state solution as the only path to lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike," he said.

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