U.S. Embassy in Estonia
Estonian Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Ants Laaneots visited the United States last week, meeting with a broad range of U.S. military and Department of Defense leadership to discuss issues of mutual interest and cooperation. This visit was the first time since 1918 that an Estonian Chief of Defense had visited the United States for formal meetings.

But contact and collaboration between our two NATO countries has become frequent and routine. While in the United States, Laaneots met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and General Mattis, the newly-assigned head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in Afghanistan.

While in Washington, Chief of Defense Laaneots had the opportunity to join our nation's Independence Day celebration by viewing fireworks from Fort Myers. He also received a tour of Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania, and visited Arlington National Cemetery where he paid his respects to U.S. soldiers in a wreath-laying ceremony.

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