Estonia and Ukraine strengthen cooperation on critical infrastructure protection

According to State Secretary Keit Kasemets, Ukraine possesses unique expertise in critical infrastructure protection that cannot be learned from theoretical manuals. "Due to its wartime experience, Ukraine has the most comprehensive expertise in how to protect electricity, communications, and other vital systems. While we cannot transfer the practices of a country at war directly to Estonia, Ukraine is nevertheless the best country in the world to learn from. Through this memorandum of cooperation, we aim to help bring Ukrainian expertise closer to both Estonian public authorities and private companies," said Kasemets.

Head of the SSSCIP, Major General Oleksandr Potii said: "Estonia is a long-standing partner of the SSSCIP. We engage in fruitful cooperation with the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA), conducting joint workshops and cyber defence training sessions. The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding on critical infrastructure protection is further evidence of our shared interest in achieving high-quality results from our partnership."

The memorandum provides for the sharing of knowledge with government institutions and companies delivering vital services, with a particular focus on the physical protection of communications and energy infrastructure. Areas of cooperation include physical site protection, countering drone threats, secure data storage, cybersecurity, and the identification of potential insider threats. Estonian agencies advising critical infrastructure operators, including the Police and Border Guard Board and the Estonian Internal Security Service, will also participate in the cooperation.

"When our authorities advise companies on critical infrastructure protection, it is important that they have direct contacts and cooperation partners in Ukraine who can provide practical advice and share real-world experience. Equally important is ensuring that Estonian companies themselves can communicate directly with Ukrainian experts whenever necessary," Kasemets added.

The cooperation will also cover the implementation of the European Union's Critical Entities Resilience (CER) Directive. Estonia is among the leading countries in the European Union in transposing the directive, as it has been systematically developing the resilience of vital services for many years. By sharing its experience, Estonia also supports Ukraine's preparations for European Union membership.

Under the memorandum, the parties will organise joint seminars, training sessions, and expert meetings. Further working formats will also be agreed in order to ensure that the cooperation becomes long-term and practical.

Kommunikatsioonibüroo, Riigikantselei