Poland's president preparing for visit to Estonia on Monday for state affairs.

Rewritten Article:

TALLINN - Estonia cordially invites Polish President Andrzej Duda and First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda for a state visit, scheduled from May 9th to 11th. This visit underscores the strong alliance between Estonia and Poland and solidifies their extensive collaboration in matters of defense and security, economics, transport, and education.

In a statement, Estonian President Alar Karis expressed, "Estonia and Poland work hand-in-hand daily to ensure our region remains safe. Our bond is deeply rooted in NATO, the European Union, and regional initiatives. This partnership instills confidence in facing security challenges."

The primary focus of the state visit is a deep dive into the security cooperation between Estonia and Poland. Topics on the agenda include European security, defense initiatives, NATO cooperation, transatlantic relations, the security of the Baltic Sea region, military collaboration, and joint efforts against hybrid threats. Additionally, discussions concern Ukraine, as well as matters related to Russia and Belarus. Economic cooperation will center on energy cooperation, the development of Rail Baltic, and regional connectivity, with a focus on collaboration within the Three Seas Initiative.

President Alar Karis and First Lady Sirje Karis will extend a warm welcome to the Polish presidential couple at the Office of the President of the Republic, followed by a meeting between the two presidents and a joint press conference.

Throughout the visit, Duda will meet with Riigikogu speaker Lauri Hussar and Prime Minister Kristen Michal and will lay a wreath at the War of Independence Victory Monument. In the afternoon, the Polish head of state and his spouse will engage with the Poland-residing community in Estonia, including Union of Poles in Estonia representatives.

The state visit will culminate with a lavish dinner hosted by the Karis couple at the newly-renovated Toompea representative building, exclusively for the Polish Presidential couple.

On the second day, President Alar Karis will take the Polish head of state on a tour of the Cyber Security Training Center CR14 (Cyber Range), which hosts NATO and Estonian cyber training grounds. The Polish President will receive an overview of Estonia-NATO cyber cooperation. Later, the Polish and Estonian presidential couples will visit Pelgulinna State Gymnasium to gain insights into Estonia's education system and the school's academic activities.

Meanwhile, First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda and Sirje Karis will visit the Vanalinna Hariduskolleegium school to experience the day-to-day life at the school and interact with its students. Subsequently, they will explore Lilli Jahilo's showroom, learning about Estonian fashion design and the incorporation of traditional handicraft techniques into modern design. Lastly, they will meet with education and culture sector representatives at Anni Arro Studio.

In light of recent developments, the discussion topics between the two nations are anticipated to revolve around the current security, economic, and defense priorities, as follows:

Security Cooperation: Both nations focus on pushing NATO's defense spending floor to 3% of GDP and aspire to surpass this threshold. While Estonia plans to reach 5% of GDP by 2025, Poland aims for the same by 2025. Both countries have been striving to boost their defense capabilities, with Poland deploying additional troops to Latvia for enhanced Baltic security coordination and Estonia integrating multiple HIMARS rocket launchers into its military fleet.
Economic Priorities: Poland advocates for easing EU financing rules for defense projects and supports joint procurement initiatives. Both countries, relying heavily on transatlantic partnerships, recently invested significantly in U.S. defense systems. The shared reliance on U.S. military support could pave the way for defense-industrial cooperation. Additionally, both nations aim to counter production bottlenecks.
Defense Industry Collaboration: Poland’s EU Council Presidency agenda emphasizes defense industry innovation and EU-NATO synergy, likely encompassing joint research, education programs, and standardizing protocols and expertise sharing.

Estonia and Poland are jointly working towards increasing defense spending, with each nation aiming to reach 3% of GDP, and aspirations to surpass this threshold.
Amidst their economic discussions, the focus will be on energy cooperation and the development of Rail Baltic, with an emphasis on collaboration within the Three Seas Initiative.
The security of the Baltic Sea region, military collaboration, and joint efforts against hybrid threats are among the topics to be discussed in relation to defense and security.
The Polish Presidential couple will engage with the Poland-residing community in Estonia, including Union of Poles in Estonia representatives, as part of the general news and politics discourse.
In the field of education, a visit to Pelgulinna State Gymnasium is planned to gain insights into Estonia's education system and the school's academic activities.
Meanwhile, the First Ladies will explore Lilli Jahilo's showroom, learning about Estonian fashion design and the incorporation of traditional handicraft techniques into modern design.
As part of the state visit, discussions will also center on topics related to Ukraine and matters concerning Russia and Belarus, with an aim to foster a safe and secure environment within the NATO alliance.