TALLINN. Feb 21 (Interfax) - Tallinn sees its neighbors, Finland and Sweden, as future members of NATO: Baltic security needs to be strengthened although it is stable, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told the parliament in a foreign political report on Thursday.
Economy and finance are North European trademarks but security should become the regional goal, he said.
Estonia wishes closer relations of Sweden and Finland with NATO and their future membership if the national publics are prepared for that, he said. Anyway, regional cooperation with NATO should be enhanced, the minister said.
In his words, Estonia is one of the few NATO countries that meet the minimal defense budget requirement of 2% of GDP.
Estonia would like its allies and close partners to enlarge their defense budgets; Europe should invest more in security, Paet said.