Canada’s governor general discusses security, digital cooperation in Estonia



Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and visiting Canadian Governor General Julie Payette inspect the guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony prior to their meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, Nov. 27, 2019. Canada’s Governor General Julie Payette on Wednesday started a two-day visit to Estonia for talks on bilateral ties and cooperation. (Xinhua/Guo Chunju)

 



Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid (R) and visiting Canadian Governor General Julie Payette shake hands prior to their meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, Nov. 27, 2019. Canada’s Governor General Julie Payette on Wednesday started a two-day visit to Estonia for talks on bilateral ties and cooperation. (Xinhua/Guo Chunju)

Canada’s Governor General Julie Payette on Wednesday started a two-day visit to Estonia for talks on bilateral ties and cooperation.

Payette met with Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, Prime Minister Juri Ratas and President of Estonian parliament (Riigikogu) Henn Polluaas on the first day of her official visit to the Baltic country.

Kaljulaid referred to the “special bond between our peoples,” as around 25,000 people of Estonian descent currently live in Canada, which is one of the largest communities outside Estonia, the Estonian president’s office said in a statement.

Payette and her hosts discussed security and climate policy as well as digital cooperation. Canadian troops lead NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup in Latvia.

“We have a similar understanding of the challenges we face on this planet — combating climate change and ensuring peace and security,” Kaljulaid was quoted as saying.

Payette, Canadian astronaut and engineer, and Kaljulaid also attended a technology course at Tallinn Secondary School of Science, participating in a forum with members of the Estonian Space School Network and students in the space program at the Tallinn University of Technology.

On Thursday, Payette is scheduled to visit the e-Estonia Showroom, the Estonian Academy of Sciences and the Tallinn-based NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence.