Washington Embassy
“The U.S. West Coast is one theoretical location where Estonia could be represented with a consulate, mainly due to the growing local Estonian community and economic cooperation. The West Coast is one of the locations for opening a mission that Prime Minister Jüri Ratas has asked the Foreign Ministry to look into,” secretary general of the ministry, Rainer Saks, told the Baltic News Service on December 21, 2017.
BNS asked the ministry to comment on an idea voiced by former foreign minister Urmas Paet, who said that Estonia could have a diplomat in Silicon Valley on the West Coast whose tasks would include contacting and maintaining relations with the major corporations there.
“Still, we can’t overlook the fact that Silicon Valley is one of the most expensive places to live, and the economic possibilities should also be taken into account when comparing it with interests in Europe and elsewhere,” Saks said.
The ministry is strengthening the foreign service again and plans for its U.S. mission are still being developed. “For instance, as of the new year an additional diplomat will start working in the Washington embassy, and sending a representative of Enterprise Estonia to the U.S. East Coast is also being considered,” he added.
Estonia has two missions on the East Coast, an embassy in Washington and a consulate general in New York. In addition, Estonia has 14 honorary consuls in the United States, two of whom are located on the West Coast, one in Southern and the other in Northern California. Also, Enterprise Estonia has an investment consultant based in Silicon Valley.
ERR News
