Foreign Minister Stubb visited Estonia

Foreign Ministers Urmas Paet and Alexander Stubb exchanged views on development of cooperation among the Nordic and Baltic countries. Photo: Estonian Foreign Ministry/ Flickr cc

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb made a half-day working visit to Estonia on 21 June to strengthen the special relations between our two countries. His previous visit to Tallinn took place on 23 April, in conjunction with the NATO Ministerial Meeting.

All of the important international issues were discussed at the working lunch offered by Foreign Minister Urmas Paet. As there are no bilateral problems between Finland and Estonia, the foreign ministers paid particular attention to topical EU challenges and to cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.

Paet described the Estonian proposal for development of a Baltic internal market within the EU as a component in implementation of the Union’s Baltic Sea Strategy. The foreign ministers also exchanged ideas on development of cooperation among the Nordic and Baltic countries, which is currently being explored in a separate wise men’s working group.

During the press conference held, Foreign Minister Stubb congratulated Estonia on joining the Euro zone. In honour of the occasion, he

Minister gave the commemorative coin, Finnish Currency 150 Years, to Foreign Minister Paet as a gift.

. Made of Finnish gold, the nominal value of the coin is 100 euros. In gratitude, Foreign Minister Paet presented Stubb with a massive hand-crafted pillow made on Kihnu island.

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves also received Stubb and exchanged views on topical international issues with the Foreign Minister.

While on the way to interviews with the Estonia media, Foreign Minister Stubb unexpectedly encountered Prime Minister Andrus Ansip on the steps of the Finnish Embassy to Estonia, and the two exchanged their news. Following the interviews, Stubb had the chance to take a short run in the Old Town of Tallinn before heading for the airport.