EMFA
During a meeting in Madrid with Foreign Minister of the next EU presidency Spain, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that Estonia would like for the Treaty of Lisbon to be implemented soon and for the work of the Council chairman and the high representative for foreign affairs to have a successful start. Spain will take over the EU presidency starting from 1 January.

Paet stated that Estonia hopes to reach an agreement on the European Union high representative and the co-ordinating Council chairman soon. “The approval of the Treaty of Lisbon by all member states is a requirement for the further development of co-operation formats in the European Union. We anticipate progress in both in the internal market and in the areas supporting the Common Foreign and Security Policy,” said Paet. “We can also be more active now in formulating the European Union External Action Service,” he noted.

Paet added that Estonia also expects progress in the accession negotiations of Iceland and Croatia during the Spanish presidency.

The main goal of Estonia’s economic policy is to join the euro-zone, Paet confirmed during the meeting in Madrid. “We are working in order to fulfil the Maastricht criteria and adopt the euro on 1 January 2011,” said Paet.

Paet noted that Estonia also hopes for significant progress to be made regarding preparations for the creation of a European Union IT agency during the Spanish presidency. “Utilising information technology more effectively than before in the European Union internal security sector is necessary, and therefore we feel that the creation of a separate IT agency is very important,” Paet stated in Madrid.

The meeting in Madrid addressing the priorities of Spain’s presidency with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos was also attended by the foreign ministers of Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Finland, and Hungary.

SPOKESPERSON'S OFFICE

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