"This agreement was reached a year ago, during the NATO summit in Wales. As for the NATO presence on the alliance's eastern border, it must involve all allies. I am very pleased that the British military contingent will be present in Estonia," Kaljurand told the Estonian ETV+ TV channel.
NATO earlier opened command centers for facilitating alliance deployments and coordinating training in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. About 40 officers will work in each command unit.
Russia's permanent representative to NATO, Alexander Grushko, has stated that the opening of NATO centers in six Eastern European countries will fuel a confrontation with Russia by the alliance.
NATO-Russia relations deteriorated sharply following Crimea's reunification with Russia and the beginning of an internal conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The alliance accused Moscow of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs subsequently boosting its military presence in Eastern Europe.
Russia has repeatedly dismissed the allegations, stating that NATO's increased activities near the country's borders undermine both regional and global stability.
