Risch Meets with Prime Minister Jüri Ratas of Estonia

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, met today with Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas to discuss the strong partnership between the U.S. and Estonia, actions to strengthen NATO, and a mutual pledge to only use trustworthy technology suppliers in their respective communications networks.

“I was glad to have Prime Minister Jüri Ratas join me in the U.S. Capitol today to discuss our bilateral efforts to counter Russian malign influence in the Baltics and reaffirm our commitment to NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) in the region,” said Risch. “The EFP enables the continuous rotation of NATO troops through the Baltics and Poland, and remains a critical asset in the fight against Russian influence.

“Prime Minister Ratas and I also had the opportunity to discuss our countries’ mutual pledge to only use trusted technology suppliers as 5G technology continues to develop and expand,” he continued. “Safe and secure communications are a priority for our military bases in allied countries, and I am glad to share this commitment with our Estonian partners.”

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