OREANDA-NEWS. November 25, 2011. The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Necas and Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip have said that in order to get out of the current debt crisis, the countries in difficulty will need to increase their competitiveness, rein in public sector spending and increase revenue.

“The keys to resolving the crisis are in the countries’ own hands. The European Union and the euro area will not be able to carry out reforms for another country,” said the Estonian head of government in a meeting with his Czech counterpart. Ansip said that in spite of the anxiety on the markets, the euro is a strong common currency and an important guarantee of the smooth operation of the European Union’s internal market. The Estonian head of government said cooperation between the countries that use the euro must be made more effective, but added this did not mean the inception of an exclusive club within the EU. “Similarly to the Euro Plus pact, countries not in the euro area could also join in with the enhanced cooperation in the Eurozone,” said Ansip.

At the meeting, the heads of government expressed a joint intention to make rapid progress toward a digital single market and develop the EU’s internal market.

Regarding the EU’s next financial framework, the prime ministers said they shared the same views regarding the total size of the budget and the fact that the goal of the investments supported from the budget should be to raise competitiveness. “Estonia considers it important that European Union funds are spent also to establish cross-border infrastructure that supports pan-European economic growth,” said Ansip, stressing the positive impact of Rail Baltic for all of Europe.

Ansip thanked the Czech Republic for its contribution to safeguarding Estonian security in the NATO airspace policing operation: “The Czech republic is a staunch ally for Estonia, and can be counted on.”

During the visit, Ansip also met representatives from Czech business circles. Among other things, the business leaders expressed interest in the possibility of selling Estonia public transport vehicles.