21 December 2010 | Angeline Albert
The UK Ministryof Defence (MoD)
has signed a procurement framework agreement with Estonia to purchase weapons
jointly in the future.
The deal, signed in Tallinn, Estonia, last week by
UK minister of state for the armed forces Nick Harvey and Estonian minister of
defence Jaak Aaviksoo, will be used by the two countries when buying the same
type of equipment at the same time.
The framework agreement means Estonian and British
officials will regularly exchange information about planned procurements of
weapons, ammunition and other equipment.
According to Aaviksoo, the agreement will intensify
the defence relationships between Estonia and UK. “Joint procurements will
enable us to save Estonian as well as British taxpayers’ money and to use the procurement
expertise of both countries in a more sustainable way. I look forward to turning
this document into reality in the near future,” he said.
Aaviksoo said joint procurements by the two
countries would improve the cooperation capability of Estonian and British
defence forces because similar types of equipment would be used more than ever
before.
Harvey
also took the opportunity to thank the Estonian nation for its contribution to
the operation in Afghanistan. “We appreciate very highly the activities of
Estonian servicemen in Helmand province and their contribution to our common
struggle,” he said.
The Estonian Ministry of Defence has signed similar joint buying deals with Sweden and Germany and is close to signing
a deal with Finland.
