TALLINN. Sept 21 (Interfax) - The Estonian Defense Ministry gave a negative answer to the Russian military attache on Wednesday regarding Russia's invitation for Estonia to attend the military-political consultations in Moscow on security in the Baltic Sea region.
"The Defense Ministry does not hold it possible to enhance the bilateral military cooperation with Russia as long as the NATO decision of 2014 is effective on cessation of practical civil and military cooperation with Russia in response to the annexation of Crimea. Reasons for the decision have not disappeared. On the contrary, Russia still pursues a military activity in eastern Ukraine," the ministry's press service told Interfax in the core of the answer.
However, the ministry said that it is interested in a constant dialogue with Russia on security and mutual confidence within the existing international format, primarily in the NATO-Russia Council and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
The Estonian Defense Ministry also believes that its dialogue with Russia has to be coordinated with other member states of the NATO and European Union.
In early August, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov invited the Baltic countries, Poland, Finland and Sweden to take part in security consultations. Flights by airplanes with deactivated transponders over the Baltic Sea are expected to be one of the agenda items there. This issue was raised by the Finnish leader, Sauli Niinisto, during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland back in July.