Foreign Minister Kaljurand opened the Estonian Embassy in Australia

29.02.2016 | 14:04

News

Today, on February 29, Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand opened the Estonian Embassy in Canberra, Australia. This is the first Estonian embassy in the region.

According to Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand, Estonia wants the opening of the Estonian Embassy in Canberra to strengthen political and security cooperation with a country sharing the same values, as well as with other nations in the area.  “In today's world, with its changing security situation, it is essential for countries sharing the same values and views to be unified and work together,” Kaljurand stressed. “The opening of this embassy will allow both nations, which are open to innovative solutions and have liberal economies, to further their cooperation,” she added.

Foreign Minister Kaljurand thanked Finland for the good cooperation in the use of embassy rooms.

In addition to representing Estonia, Foreign Minister Kaljurand said the embassy allows Estonia to better protect the interests of citizens residing in Australia, to provide consular services and consular assistance, if necessary. “Every place where our people live, is important. Australia has a large Estonian community, which is constantly growing. It is a popular destination for temporary emigration, where an estimated 10 000 Estonians currently live,” Kaljurand said. “The aim of the embassy is also to support the interests and cooperative efforts of entrepreneurs. Our bilateral business contacts have increased and trade with Australia has also increased, as much as a third in the past year,” she added.

The Estonian Ambassador in Australia is Andres Unga. The embassy in Canberra is located at 12 Darwin Avenue, Yarralumla, ACT 2600, Australia. The embassy can be contacted by phone at +61 (0) 409 798 474 and the e-mail address is [email protected].

In Australia, Estonia also has Honorary Consuls in Perth, Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne.

In 2014, the Government of the Republic decided to open an embassy in Canberra instead of the Consulate General in Sydney, which was opened in 2011. The embassy opened in February of last year and Ambassador Andres Unga has resided on site since August. According to the agreement with the Finnish Foreign Ministry, as of the fall of 2015, the Estonian Embassy in Canberra is using a building belonging to the group of buildings belonging to the Finnish Embassy in Canberra.

Photos from the opening of the new embassy: https://www.flickr.com/photos/estonian-foreign-ministry/sets/72157665171991906

 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION, FOREIGN MINISTRY

(+372) 637 7654

(+372) 521 6821

[email protected]

www.vm.ee