Estonia to Commission Diaspora Research
The Minister of Population Riina Solman announced a tender with an estimated cost of €50,000 to find a body to conduct a survey aimed at Estonian expatriate communities and potential returnees.
The results of the survey will be used as input in the development and improvement of various services and activities.
“The global Estonian program is a new and important process for Estonian society, because for the first time the country is reaching out to Estonia’s expat communities with a broad-based desire to cooperate,” Solman added.
The period for preparing and conducting the survey is from September of this year to November of next year.
U.S. Embassy in Tallinn to Relocate
The Embassy of the United States in Tallinn plans to move from its current Kentmanni Street location to a new site behind the so-called “superministry”, the home of three ministries, on the corner of Suur Ameerika and Väike Ameerika Streets.
Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu confirmed that the U.S. Embassy is interested in purchasing the property.
Estonia, in turn, wishes to expand its embassy building in Washington, DC with rooms for an ambassador’s residence allowing for receptions, so it is a reciprocal real estate transaction between the two countries.
Sea Garbage Collector Set to Work in Tallinn’s Old Port
A co-operative project between Tallinn and Helsinki has resulted in a floating Seabin sea trash skimmer being set to work in the Old Port (Vanasadam) of Tallinn, where it collects plastic and other floating debris that has fallen into the water.
The bin is emptied every two days and the garbage sorted and analyzed as part of a global project (www.seabinproject.com).
New Thriller to be Filmed in Estonia
A new film, Burial, is to be filmed in Estonia this autumn, featuring several well-known actors including Irish actress Niamh Algar, Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones) and Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk).
It will be directed by British screenwriter Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday) and co-produced by Ivo Felt from the Estonian film studio Allfilm.
