Minister Joller affirmed that the two countries will continue their efforts to date. “We must understand that this is a partnership between equals. Ukraine does not come to us asking for assistance. We have at least as much—and probably even more—to learn from their experience,” Joller said, referring to the newly signed agreement. “As horrifying as it is, for Ukraine every day is a lesson in survival; a lesson from which we can all learn a great deal,” she added.
Ukrainian Minister of Health Viktor Liashko stated: “Estonia is one of Ukraine’s key partner countries that have supported us since the very beginning of the full-scale war. The signed Technical Agreement sets clear priorities for cooperation and opens the way for concrete projects — in restoring medical infrastructure, strengthening rehabilitation services, driving digital transformation, and aligning Ukraine’s healthcare system with EU standards. It is a document that makes our partnership with Estonia even more practical, structured, and focused on long-term outcomes,” said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine.
Key areas of cooperation under the agreement include supporting Ukraine’s healthcare reforms and hospital reconstruction, training healthcare professionals, sharing expertise, and providing medical, rehabilitative, and psychosocial assistance to war victims.
Estonia, for instance, can learn from Ukraine’s organization of critical stockpiles, casualty transportation, and the distinction between wartime and everyday medical procedures and hospitals. Representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Health Board, the Health Insurance Fund, and family doctors have already visited Ukraine for hands-on experience. A prime example is the work of East Tallinn Central Hospital, which has led efforts in prosthetics and rehabilitation for those wounded in the war. “On the one hand, we’re helping those who have been injured literally get back on their feet; on the other hand, our doctors gain experience that cannot be found in any textbook during peacetime,” said Minister Joller.
The agreement also covers medical care for Ukrainian citizens in Estonia and focuses on cooperation in implementing international sanctions to prevent Russia from using the medical sector’s resources for its war efforts. Estonia and Ukraine will collaborate on education programs as well, developing healthcare professionals’ training and research.
During his visit to Estonia, Minister Liashko will meet with members of the Health Insurance Fund board and Andras Armväärt, Head of the Health Board’s Department for Health Emergency Preparedness. He will also meet Dr. Natalya Isayevska, a Ukrainian doctor working at Ida-Viru Central Hospital, as well as vist the Tallinn Ambulance and Laagri Family Health Center. According to Minister Joller, Ukraine is building its family doctor system modeled after Estonia’s, and Estonian medical professionals – including Joller herself – have been training their Ukrainian counterparts for years.
The agreement signed today affirms the memorandum of understanding concluded in Kyiv in 2023, bolsters the two countries’ security, and ensures that existing humanitarian and healthcare cooperation becomes a long-term, structured partnership.
