Helen Saarniit to serve as advisor on EU mission in Ukraine

TALLINN - Estonian expert Helen Saarniit is set to join the European Union (EU) civilian mission in Ukraine as an advisor for strategic communication.

Saarniit has previous experience with civilian missions from the EU advisory mission in Iraq, where she served as the head of press and public relations. Before that, she worked as the communications manager for the Tallinn Center of the Stockholm Environment Institute. Saarniit has also participated in the European Union's election observation missions in Tunisia and Peru.

The European Union's advisory mission seeks to support the reform of Ukraine's civilian security sector and provide strategic advice to the relevant government agencies. Following the onset of Russia's aggression in Ukraine, the EU member states entrusted the mission with additional tasks in March and April 2022 to assist Ukrainian authorities in border management and offer consultancy on investigating war crimes and other international offenses. Estonia has been part of the mission since its inception in 2014.

Estonia dispatches its experts to international civilian missions to help prevent and manage international conflicts. Currently, Estonian experts are participating in European Union civilian missions in Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, and Somalia, as well as the UN mission in Kosovo. A total of nine experts dispatched from Estonia are currently working on international civilian missions. The participation of Estonian experts in civilian missions is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.