India, Estonia to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade and commerce

India and Estonia on Wednesday agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade and commerce, especially in the areas of IT, e-governance and cyber security as Vice President Venkaiah Naidu held wide-ranging talks with Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid.

Naidu, who is here on the final leg of his five-day three-nation tour to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, held delegation-level talks with President Kaljulaid and reviewed bilateral relations and potential areas of cooperation.

The two leaders exchanged views about regional, multilateral global issues of common interest amid New Delhi's efforts to bolster ties with Baltic countries.

"I am glad to be visiting Estonia, a successful democracy, a member of the EU and a nation which has been recognised as a digital state, having great technological achievements to its credit," Naidu said in a joint press statement.

India and Estonia share a bilateral relationship based on common values such as democracy, rule of law, pluralism and freedom, he said.

"Although, there are asymmetries in the size of our nations and our economies, we believe that both India and Estonia share several complementarities. India and Estonia share a bilateral relationship based on common values such as democracy, rule of law, pluralism and freedom," Naidu said.

He said India is looking forward to working closely with Estonia in the UN Security Council.

The two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade and commerce, especially IT, e-governance, cyber security, innovation and education.

Naidu said the bilateral economic engagement, which has grown since the establishment of diplomatic relations and stands at USD 172 million per annum holds considerable potential for growth and expansion.

There is immense opportunities for partnership between Estonian and Indian companies, he said.

They also discussed common concerns such as climate change and global warming.

He invited Estonia to join International Solar Alliance in which India is playing a leading role in order to enable rapid deployment of solar energy globally and to facilitate transfer of technology.

India also invited the Estonian government to participate actively in the forthcoming India-Europe 29 Business Forum to be held on November 20-21 in New Delhi which is a focussed event for strengthening cooperation between India and the 29 countries of Europe.

Naidu also paid tributes to the champions of the Estonian Struggle for Independence at the Vabaduse vljak (Vabaduse Square).

The landmark is a symbol of the Estonian people's quest for freedom.