12-15.12 Foreign Minister Urmas Paet will participate in the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in New York and give a speech during the General Debate.
The foreign minister has meetings scheduled in New York with ICC President Sang-Hyun Song, UN Under-Secretary General Patricia O’Brien, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, Prosecutor of the ICC Luis Moreno Ocampo, and Minister Justice, Defence and Security of Botswana Dikgakgamatso N. Sereste.
Foreign Minister Paet will also give a speech at the Estonia-organised event “Let’s Do It! World Cleanup 2012” within the framework of the UN Intersessional Conference on Sustainable Development. The community garbage cleanup project that got its start in Estonia is spreading all over the world. Next year’s World Cleanup 2012 carries on the spirit of the original idea and is the first large joint initiative by the international movement. World Cleanup 2012 will bring together active people and organisations from 100 countries that will be carrying out one major cleanup day in their respective locations between 24 March and 25 September. Over 70 countries have already given word that they will be participating. Additional information: http://www.teemeara.ee/maailmakoristus
12.12 Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs Väino Reinart will meet with the Finnish Foreign Ministry’s Undersecretary of State for Economic Relations Esko Hamilo. Topics to be discussed at the meeting are European Union trade policy and the upcoming WTO ministers’ meeting.
12.12 Consultations on European Union affairs between the foreign ministries of Estonia and Latvia will take place in Võnnu. Items under discussion will include the conclusions of the Council, the situation in the euro zone, matters related to the EU’s new financial perspective, regional and bilateral co-operation, and further European Union enlargement. The Estonian delegation will be led by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for European Union Affairs Kaja Tael.
13.12 Political consultations between the foreign ministries of Estonia and the Czech Republic will take place. Topics to be discussed include cyber security, Eastern Partnership, political developments in Eastern Europe and Russia, and the situations in the Western Balkans and the Middle East. The Estonian delegation will be led by the Foreign Ministry’s political director Sander Soone. The Czech delegation will be led by political director Pavel Fischer, who will also visit the NATO Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.
15-17.12 The 8th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will take place in Geneva, where the functioning of the multilateral trade system and WTO activities will be discussed. The accession of Samoa, Vanuatu, Montenegro, and Russia will be approved during the meeting. The Estonian delegation will be led by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs Väino Reinart.
15-16.12 A delegation from the Foreign Ministry will participate in the European Development Days taking place in Warsaw, which are Europe’s most important forum for discussing foreign policy and development co-operation topics. The Development Days are organised by the European Commission in co-operation with the European Union presidency Poland. Thousands of people working in the development co-operation field, advocates, and experts will attend the discussion forum.
This year the main topic of the Development Days is “Development and democracy”. Similarly to previous years, the high-level forums can be followed in real time on the web through the webpage of the European Development Days: http://www.eudevdays.eu/.
SPOKESPERSON’S OFFICE
+372 637 7654