Eesti riigikaitsepoliitika sõnastamisest 1996-1999: põhisuundadest NATO-liikmelisuse tegevuskavani
Formulation of Estonian National Defence Policy in 1996-1999: From Main Directions to NATO Membership Action Plan

Summary/Abstract: This article concentrates on the formulation of the main issues of the Estonian defence policy in 1996–1999. In 1996 the Estonian Parliament approved the “Guidelines for the Estonian National Defence Policy”. This document declared that Estonian National Defence should be constructed upon two inter-dependent and complementary orientations. These orientations were independent self-defence capability, supported by state defence structures, and international defence-related cooperation. That was the first time that Estonia officially declared its willingness to join NATO. In 1996, retired Colonel Ants Laaneots presented his own conceptual and systematic approach to defence. In 1997and 1998 there was a public debate on defence-related issues in the newspapers. Although the official policy was to join NATO, there was another understanding among some intellectuals. These certain individuals proposed the idea of neutrality or suggested that no defence forces would be needed at all. Some alternative ideas were presented in articles. By the end of 1998, defence questions, especially those of joining NATO and fixing a defence budget with a certain percentage of General Domestic Product (GDP), were emphasised as issues of high importance by President Lennart Meri. The government, which was formed after the elections in spring 1999, declared security and defence questions as one of their priorities. In the same year, Estonia presented its first Annual National Programme (ANP) within the MAP (Membership Action Plan) process to NATO. In the ANP document Estonia provided information about its fundamental aims and principles for accession to NATO and developing its defence in five spheres: political and economical, defence and military, resource, security, and legal. Defence issues were related with other statehood functions. This document can be also presented as defence conception. The ANP included a more comprehensive approach to security than previous documents. The MAP/ANP process became a framework for negotiations with NATO and the development of Estonian Defence Policy and the structures based on it. Estonia lowered its ambitions for wartime force structure to 25,000–30,000. That figure took into consideration the real resources available. Although the Estonian government of this period mentioned international cooperation and a desire to join NATO in their programmes, not enough was done to formulate a clear conception and action plan in this direction until 1999. There was a lack of serious discussion between political parties about defence issues. The main subject of discussion was the question of compulsory conscription, but the statements were more rhetorical than based on analysis. Until 1999, there was not enough political interest to pay attention to defence questions.

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