Estonian parlt's EU affairs committee to discuss European defense, security in Hungary

TALLINN - Members of the European Union affairs committee of the Estonian parliament will be attending the plenary meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) in Hungary on Monday and Tuesday to discuss security in Europe and supporting Ukraine.

Chairman of the EU affairs committee Peeter Tali said that his aim when meeting with colleagues from other national parliaments is to underline the need to support Ukraine in every possible way and to cripple the military economy of aggressor states Russia and Belarus with new sanctions, as well as to strongly draw Hungary’s attention to the threat that the Kremlin-mindedness of Viktor Orbán's government poses to the freedom, common heritage and way of life of the nations of Europe.     

Tali said that regarding the European Union priorities for 2024-2029, it is important for the plenary meeting to highlight cooperation between countries to ensure European security.

"Providing comprehensive assistance to Ukraine is a necessary contribution to meeting this goal. That is why I would like to underline the need for close cooperation between national parliaments at the meeting," he added. "One of the strategic goals of the dictator Putin’s regime is to divide and then to break up the European Union that is based on common values. That is why we must go to Budapest and tell Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán directly and clearly what he is doing wrong and where it could lead."

At Monday’s session, it is planned to hear Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s overview of the priorities of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union. The COSAC plenary meeting agenda also includes a debate on the state of the EU in the year of institutional transition and the 15-year application of the Treaty of Lisbon. On Tuesday, the plenary meeting will focus on European demographic trends and responses, as well as European security and defense.

Tali added that part of the EU’s long-term assistance to Ukraine is connected with supporting the country’s accession to the European Union and implementing the necessary reforms.

The plenary meeting of the Chairpersons of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) is taking place in Budapest, Hungary, on Oct. 27-29. The Estonian delegation consists of EU affairs committee chairman Peeter Tali and committee member Riina Solman.

COSAC is a cooperation format that brings together the committees for EU affairs of the national parliaments of the 27 member states of the European Union.