Weekly Schedule

20/01 Estonian Ambassador to Canada Toomas Lukk and the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Janet Austin open the Estonian Honorary Consulate in Vancouver. The Estonian Honorary Consul in Vancouver is Evaleen Jaager Roy and the Deputy Honorary Consul is Evi Olga Mustel. The honorary consulate in Vancouver helps advance Estonian business interests in the province of British Columbia and bolster ties between Estonia and the Estonian community in British Columbia, as well as facilitating the provision of consular services to Estonian citizens. Additional information: fred.pyss@mfa.ee

21/01 At 15.00, a press briefing is held at the Foreign Ministry on Brexit, with presentations by Karin Rannu, an adviser at the Division for South-Eastern Europe and European Union at the Department for European Affairs, Silver Tammik, the Director of the European Union and International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, Kristen Lahtein, Head of the Department for International Cooperation, and Harry Kattai, an adviser at the Department of Citizenship and Migration Policy at the Ministry of the Interior. Registration: asosek@mfa.ee. Additional information: britta.tarvis@mfa.ee

21/01-22/01 Junior Finnish diplomats are on a visit to Tallinn. The Finnish Embassy will hold a reception for junior diplomats of both countries to celebrate the centenary of the diplomatic relations between Estonia and Finland (Finland recognised Estonia de jure on 7 June 1920). They will also meet with Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu and Secretary General Rainer Saks, and listen to presentations on the foreign service and foreign policy priorities of Estonia. In the spring, junior diplomats from Estonia will make a reciprocal visit to Helsinki. Additional information: fred.pyss@mfa.ee

21/01-22/01 Negotiations on the agreement on the mutual recognition and exchange of driving licenses between Estonia and the United Arab Emirates held in Abu Dhabi. Estonia is represented by Erki Kodar, the Undersecretary for Legal and Consular Affairs, Martin Mändveer, a lawyer with from the Legal Department, as well as representatives from the Estonian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Road Administration. Additional information: britta.tarvis@mfa.ee

23/01 Meeting between the departments for European Affairs of the foreign ministries of Estonia and Latvia, and European Union consultations held in Tallinn. The Estonian delegation is headed by Marika Linntam, the Director of the Department for European Affairs. Main topics include bilateral relations and regional cooperation in the Baltic and Nordic-Baltic formats, as well as joint infrastructure projects, the green deal, future relations with the United Kingdom, negotiations over the next financial framework of the EU, the Western Balkans and EU enlargement. Additional information: leen.lindam@mfa.ee

24/01 From 14.00 to 16.00, a formal event to mark the beginning of Estonia’s tenure as the coordinator of the Nordic-Baltic (NB8) and Baltic (3B) cooperation formats is held in the large press room at the Foreign Ministry. Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu will make opening remarks, Märt Volmer, the newly appointed Undersecretary for European Affairs, will present Estonia’s priorities for the NB8 and 3B in 2020, and the Danish Ambassador to Estonia Kristina Miskowiak Beckvard will talk about the 2020 priorities of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Latvian Ambassador to Estonia Raimonds Jansons will summarise the Latvian Presidency of the Baltic Council of Ministers last year. The working languages of the seminar are Estonian and English, with interpretation from Estonian into English. Additional information and registration: fred.pyss@mfa.ee

24/01 Secretary General Rainer Saks meets with his Danish counterpart Lars Gert Lose. The agenda includes current challenges of the EU and Estonia’s plans for its chairmanship of the NB8. The Estonian delegation also includes Gert Antsu, the Director of the Estonian Centre of Eastern Partnership, and Mart Laanemäe, the Estonian Ambassador to Denmark. Various meetings in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs focus on cooperation in initiating development cooperation projects and possibilities for using Estonia’s expertise in Eastern Partnership countries. Additional information: leen.lindam@mfa.ee

Cultural events abroad

23/01 The Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union opens with the exhibition Denmark Through the Eyes of EU Ambassadors at the Copenhagen City Hall.  Estonia is represented at the City Hall by a photo with the working title of Afterwork the Danish way. The photo was taken by former Estonian Ambassador to Denmark Märt Volmer who snapped the shot on a Friday evening one summer when looking out of the embassy window. The image includes many symbols characteristic of Denmark.

25/01 Opening of the exhibition The Line of the Little Figures by Estonian artist Katrin Koskaru at the L'ahah #Moret Gallery in Paris. The exhibition remains open until 23 March 2020. The gallery and the artist began collaborating in 2017. Additional information: Eike Eller, Cultural Attaché in Brussels and Paris, +32 2227 3917, eike.eller@mfa.ee, https://www.lahah.fr/#koskaru-exposition-personnelle-2020

Additional information:
Fred Püss
Media Adviser
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Communication Department
+372 6 377 618, +372 55 562 488