TALLINN (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Terras met with his French counterpart Pierre de Villiers in Tallinn.
"The French Armed Forces are making a significant contribution both to their [country's] own domestic security, as well as into international military operations. It shows their desire to participate in the strengthening of the eastern flank of NATO and support the system of the Alliance's collective security," Terras said following the meeting, as cited by the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces.
Since 2014, NATO has been building up its military presence in Europe, particularly in eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move. Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims and warned NATO that the military buildup on Russia’s borders is provocative.
The bloc's members are set to discuss increasing Alliance's activities on its eastern flank on July 8-9 at the 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw.
