Prime ministers call for defense cooperation

TARTU - The three Baltic prime ministers have called for the countries to renew their cooperation efforts in defending airspace at a meeting in Tartu, Estonia.

Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, Latvian Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis and Lithuanian Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas hgihlighted the importance of extending a series of resolutions aimed at improving cooperation in joint airspace security to 2018.

The agreement on Baltic air space security will be in effect until 2011, but the threecountries are applying for its extension until at least2018.

This May the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuaniandefenseministers underlined a political instruction of air spaceanalysis on the basis of which versions of the threecountries' air space security after 2018 will be worked out.

The analysis must be drawn up by January 1, 2010 andprovide a functioning solution for the Baltic countries' airspace security starting from 2018. The Baltic countries mustsubmit the proposals to NATO by 2011.

The Baltic states' airspace is currently being defended under a NATO plan whereby member states rotate planes in and out of the three countries.

The three heads of government also discussed energy supplies, the economy and other security issues.

The meeting came ahead of a scheduled meeting of the three Baltic presidents sometime this week. The presidents are due to focus their discussion on energy issues.

The neighborhood  policy of the European Unionand the influence of the world financial and economic crisison the Baltic region will also be discussed at the meeting.