Foreign Minister Urmas Paet: Estonia’s Economic Interests a Key Aspect of Opening New Foreign Representations

17.01.2012 | 14:10

No. 9-EToday Foreign Minister Urmas Paet met with representatives of Enterprise Estonia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Estonian Employers’ Confederation to discuss the Foreign Ministry’s co-operation with business organisations to protect the interests of Estonian entrepreneurs abroad.

No. 9-E

Today Foreign Minister Urmas Paet met with representatives of Enterprise Estonia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Estonian Employers’ Confederation to discuss the Foreign Ministry’s co-operation with business organisations to protect the interests of Estonian entrepreneurs abroad.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Estonia’s foreign representations have the important task of supporting Estonian companies, protecting their interests, and providing them with support to resolve problems abroad. The Foreign Ministry also takes economic interests into consideration when opening new foreign representations. “In 2011 we opened a consulate general in Shanghai and an embassy in Astana. This year a representation will start working in India,” he said.

During the meeting, Foreign Minister Paet noted that co-operation between the Foreign Ministry and business organisations has been good and reciprocally supportive. “Many of our endeavours have been given added value through close co-operation with Enterprise Estonia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Employers’ Confederation. It is essential for this good co-operation and information exchange to continue,” he added.

Paet also highlighted the smooth co-operation between the Foreign Ministry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in organising business visits and in receiving foreign business delegations in Estonia. “Next week is the joint visit of the Estonian and Finnish ministers to Indonesia, where they will be accompanied by business delegations from both countries,” said the foreign minister.

One tradition that has developed is the organising of seminars introducing various target markets in co-operation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Another event that has won the approval of entrepreneurs is “Morning Coffee with the Ambassador”, during which our ambassadors and economic diplomats meet with entrepreneurs and share their experiences regarding the business and economic climate in a particular country.

The foreign minister stated that meetings with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Employers’ Confederation are also very useful for ambassadors and economic diplomats who are about to assume a post in a foreign country.

Enterprise Estonia is also a vital partner of ours. “We are planning joint activities with Enterprise Estonia that we will also carry out together. Representatives of Enterprise Estonia also receive regular information regarding the embassies’ foreign economic relations and what is going on in other countries’ economies,” Paet noted. In addition to practical co-operation, our diplomats also share a working space with Enterprise Estonia representatives in Kiev and Shanghai, among other places.

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