On May 16, as part of his working visit to Estonia, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Mykola Tochytskyi, held bilateral meetings with the President of the Riigikogu (Parliament) Lauri Hussar and the Chair of the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament, Liina Kersna.

During the meetings, the parties discussed priority areas of bilateral cooperation in the fields of culture, protection of the shared information space, and the development of strategic communications.

Mykola Tochytskyi expressed sincere gratitude for Estonia’s consistent support in the political, defense, and humanitarian spheres, as well as for its leadership in shaping international approaches to the use of frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine.

Special attention was paid to enhancing cooperation in the field of strategic communications with a view to strengthening societal resilience against Russian information operations.

Among other things, Lauri Hussar recalled Estonia’s decision to block the broadcasting of Russian TV channels at the onset of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine and reaffirmed Estonia’s unwavering support for Ukraine, as well as that of the entire European community, in its fight against Russian aggression.

Liina Kersna, Chair of the Cultural Affairs Committee, for her part, emphasized the importance of enhancing media literacy among both young people and the older generation, especially in the context of the spread of fake news and the growing role of artificial intelligence in the information space.

The meetings also addressed Ukraine’s progress on European integration, the harmonization of media legislation, and the safeguarding of freedom of speech in line with European Union standards.

The effective cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Estonia in the field of strategic communications was acknowledged, and the importance of deepening engagement between other relevant institutions of both countries was emphasized, with a view to strengthening resilience against hybrid threats.