Minister of Defence presented medals to Estonian soldiers in thanks for their service in Afghanistan

Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet presented medals to Estonian servicemen who had served with the unit ESTPLA 33, as part of Operation Resolute Support, in Afghanistan.

According to Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet, service in Kabul by combatants from the ESTPLA-33 unit was exemplary.

'You served as part of the British contingent, and your British colleagues have had nothing but praise for you. This is very important, because the professional and committed actions of Estonian servicemen in foreign missions is a kind of quality mark that must be maintained,' added Laanet.

He emphasised that the performance of tasks by the security team were difficult, and in some cases dangerous, given the local circumstances.

According to Laanet, Estonia and its allies have contributed a lot to Afghanistan and world security. 'We did our best. We hope that Afghanistan will not return to the darkest times of Taliban rule,' he said.

The twenty-year presence of NATO and its partners in Afghanistan will soon be coming to an end - the last unit arrived in Estonia on 8 June of this year, and the SNR will be returning before Midsummer's Day.

Finally, Laanet thanked the family members and relatives of the servicemen who supported them and waited for them at home.

The unit returned home in June of last year, although the award ceremony had to be postponed due to the spread of the coronavirus.

'I hope that you did not think, even for a moment, that you and your hard and responsible work on the foreign mission had been forgotten. I can state with certainty that Estonia always remembers and highly values the contribution of all the members of the Defence Force and the Defence League in international peace operations,' said Laanet.

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