Kaljulaid discusses coronavirus with Baltic, Polish, Russian leaders

President Kersti Kaljulaid discussed the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with regional heads of state by phone and video conference on Monday.

From her office in Tallinn’s Kadriorg, the president called the heads of states in Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Poland and Russia.

They discussed the measures being taken to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Estonians working abroad and their return, and the Finno-Ugric Congress which is scheduled to take place in Tartu this summer.

Kaljulaid also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about citizens and communication going forward.

In a Facebook post, Kaljulaid wrote: “In the morning I talked with our Baltic colleagues [Latvian president] Egils Levits and [Lithuanian president] Gitanas Nauseda. Regarding the anti-pandemic measures and the current situation, but we also noted that it is important for small countries in particular to keep the supply chains as large as possible.

“Before lunch, I spoke with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö. In addition to measures to suppress the crisis, we also discussed commuting concerns [of Estonians working in Finland and vice-versa – ed].

“In the afternoon, I thanked Polish President Andrzej Duda for his operational assistance in escorting Baltic citizens through Poland to their home countries.

“I also discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin the situation in both countries and the need to ensure the smooth and expeditious return of citizens and holders of residence permits.

“We agreed to continue to communicate promptly when necessary. We also agreed on the appointment of contact persons at the Estonian Embassy in Moscow and the Russian Embassy in Tallinn to assist in operational coordination of the processes. We also briefly discussed the Finno-Ugric congress currently scheduled for June.”

Read more at ERR.EE (16.03.2020).