Canada’s first ambassador to Lithuania, Jeanette Sautner, has taken office on 10 July 2023 after presenting her diplomatic credentials to President Gitanas Nauseda, BNS reports. Nauseda said that the opening of the Canadian embassy in Vilnius would open new opportunities to further strengthen bilateral relations. He thanked Canada for its contribution to strengthening the security…
Finland’s new defence minister, Antti Häkkänen, visited Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, to meet with his Estonian counterpart, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur, on 6 July 2023, ERR reported. The two ministers discussed bilateral defence cooperation, regional security, the NATO summit in Vilnius, assistance to Ukraine, and EU defence support. Pevkur said that Finland’s accession to NATO opened…
Relations between Finland and Estonia are stronger than ever, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated, ERR reports. Speaking at a joint press conference with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Tallinn on 5 July 2023, Orpo noted that the two countries had strong cultural ties, and that their values and understanding of reality were very…
The chairman of the Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond), Jüri Ratas, announced that he would not seek reelection, ERR reports. Ratas has been chairman of the opposition party since 2016. The party’s deputy chairman, Tallinn mayor Mihhail Kõlvart, said that he was ready to run for the post of chairman. Meanwhile, several senior members of the…
The Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) has a rift in its leadership, party chairman Jüri Ratas stated, BNS reports. Earlier, the party’s governing board voted to return a donation of EUR 300,000 from local businessman Parvel Pruunsild. Ratas had insisted that the donation would have helped the party finance its operations. However, the party’s deputy chairman,…
Registered unemployment in Estonia increased for the third week in a row, ERR reports. The number of people registered as unemployed totalled 50,131 as of 2 July 2023, which was 650 more than a week earlier. The registered unemployment rate rose from 7.4% to 7.5%. The highest unemployment rate was in Ida-Virumaa county at 12.3%,…
Swedish telecommunications technology company Ericsson plans to build a new manufacturing and technology facility in Estonia’s capital city of Tallinn, ERR reports. The company will invest EUR 155mn in the production centre in Tallinn’s Ülemiste City business park. Construction work is due to be completed by 2026. The facility will house testing laboratories, production lines,…
The Estonian property developer, Estera Saue, plans to build a new residential area in Saue municipality, on the outskirts of Tallinn, ERR reports. The housing project will consist of over 1,000 apartments primarily targeted at young families. The project will include a mix of apartment buildings, terraced houses, private houses, and commercial premises. Amenities such…
The 13th Youth Song and Dance Festival (Laulupidu) in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, attracted around 90,000 spectators who watched performances by 31,415 singers, dancers, and musicians, ERR reports. Around 120,000 reusable bowls and spoons were handed out to participants during the festival weekend, while 134,000 dishes and 44,000 utensils were issued to spectators. Around 350 police…