Today 1 September, Eve-Külli Kala, a long-time diplomat of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will assume office as the European Director of the Department of Technical Cooperation at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Kala is the first Estonian to reach such a senior position during Estonia’s nearly 30-year membership.
According to Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, the representation of Estonia in important international organisations is the key to reinforcing Estonia’s global position. “Eve-Külli is a long-time diplomat with a solid background, and her appointment to such a senior position of great responsibility is a great recognition for Estonia,” Reinsalu said. “Estonia’s membership in the IAEA Board of Governors and the UN Security Council, which are closely linked – and from today, the position of an Estonian as a regional director for Europe – provides a more comprehensive chance for cooperation in both organisations.”
“Technical cooperation is one of the main mechanisms of the IAEA for supporting the development priorities of member states, including Estonia,” Eve-Külli Kala said. “For a further improvement, it is necessary to expand into boosting the agency’s partnerships with private companies, regional development banks and other financial institutions. It is a position with many challenges and great responsibility but also with great professional appeal. I will certainly try to contribute to a greater engagement of Estonians at the agency.”
Eve-Külli Kala is an Estonian diplomat. She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992. Between 1992 and 1996, she worked at the Political Department of the Foreign Ministry, and in 1996-1999, she worked at the Estonian Mission to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and from 1999 to 2001, she was the Director of the Division of Northern and Central Europe.
From 2002 to 2006, she was the Estonian ambassador to the Czech Republic and between 2006 and 2011, she worked as the director-general of the Personnel Department of the Foreign Ministry. From 2011 to 2015, she was the Estonian ambassador to Austria, Slovakia, Kosovo, and the UN and other international organisations in Vienna. In 2014, Eve-Külli Kala headed the Wassenaar Arrangement and in 2015, she became Estonia’s permanent representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna.
The IAEA is an international organisation founded in 1957 under the aegis of the UN with the aim of promoting the peaceful use of atomic energy and preventing its use for military purposes. The IAEA has 171 member states and its headquarters are located in Vienna. IAEA reports to both the UN General Assembly as well as the UN Security Council. Estonia has been a member of the IAEA since 1992. Between September 2019 and September 2021, Estonia is also a member of IAEA’s policy-making body, the 35-member Board of Governors.
IAEA has an important role in supporting countries in their work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially climate goals, the safe use of nuclear technology, and improving radiation safety. For example, in 1996 and 1997, the IAEA helped build Estonia’s radiation protection system and draft the first Radiation Act. Estonia’s cooperation with the IAEA mainly entails its technical cooperation programme for training experts and acquiring medical devices.
The technical cooperation programme is the IAEA’s primary mechanism for supporting the key development priorities of member states in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, environment, industrial applications, and nuclear knowledge development and management. Estonia’s priorities in IAEA’s technical cooperation programme are the development of cancer treatment capabilities, radioactive waste management and radiation legislation.
Additional information:
Pia Kuusik
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Media Adviser
Communication Department
+372 5635 7866
www.vm.ee
