NATO Secretary General visits multinational battlegroup in Estonia¹, first trip to the eastern flank of the Alliance

1. NATO Secretary General at Tapa Army Base, Estonia , 23 OCT 2024

During his first trip to the eastern flank of the Alliance since taking office, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with Estonian President Alar Karis and

Address to the troops followed by a press point by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the President of Estonia, Alar Karis, Estonia, 23 October 2024².

| NATO Secretary General:

Good afternoon.

President Karis, dear Alar, thank you and Chief of Defence General Merilo for hosting us here today.

It is my pleasure to be here at Tapa Army Base.

It is where the Estonian 1st Brigade is located, and NATO’s multinational forces are fully integrated.

This is the first NATO battlegroup I have visited since I became Secretary General, and I am already impressed.

With your professionalism, commitment and resolve.

Thank you to the United Kingdom for leading this battlegroup, with its soldiers serving alongside troops from France and staff from Iceland.

I also welcome that troops from the United States are here today, yet another demonstration of US commitment to our shared security.

You stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your Estonian brothers and sisters in uniform.

You all embody the spirit of NATO.

All for one and one for all.

Together we defend Estonia’s freedom every day.

And Estonia will never be alone again.

You are one of eight NATO battlegroups stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea, backed by the full weight of NATO’s fighting forces in all domains, land, air, sea, space and cyberspace.

Every hour of your vigilance reinforces our collective defence.

You deter any aggression and your presence proves that NATO will always defend every Ally.

Your efforts are not just a display of military strength but a clear commitment to preserve peace and prevent conflict.

Let me also welcome that today, the United Kingdom and Germany are signing a new defence agreement that will bring their armed forces and defence industries even closer, further strengthening NATO’s security.

NATO will continue to step up our deterrence and defence.

And increase our support to Ukraine, because Ukraine’s security is our security.

It is a privilege to meet you here today. I was fortunate to speak with some of you earlier.

You are the best of NATO.

Thank you for your service.

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