Welcome ceremony for the enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Estonia,  in Tapa on Thursday,  Apr. 20,  2017. - Photo by Multinational Corps Northeast

TAPA, Estonia – Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), General Sir James Everard, attended the welcome ceremony of the UK- led enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Estonia, in Tapa on Thursday, Apr. 20, 2017.

"I am grateful to have the chance to welcome soldiers from different NATO countries in Estonia and I know that they are well prepared for this task and that they will do a brilliant job," said General Everard.

The UK-led battlegroup in Estonia is made up of UK, French and Danish troops.

"NATO's core idea is to defend every member nation in the case of an attack. This was written down in the Washington Treaty 68 years ago. Today NATO is the strongest most successful political-military Alliance in history," said Sir Everard. "It has worked successfully to keep the peace in Europe and act to uphold international peace and security. Now we are opening the next chapter of that story," he added.

NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups are also deployed to Poland, Latvia and Lithuania as agreed during the NATO Warsaw Summit as part of NATO's defence and deterrence posture.