TALLINN - Estonia has opened its first Ukrainian honorary consulate in the city of Simferopol, and has plans to open two further offices in the country.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Ambassador Paul Lettens opened the consulate on June 2, announcing businessman Igor Sergeyev as the first honorary consul.
Paet last week told The Baltic Times that strengthening Estonian's foreign representation was one of his top priorities.
"We will open two embassies this year in Bulgaria and Georgia. We will try to renovate or have new buildings for some of our embassies abroad. To be stronger in some capitals we will send some more diplomats," Paet told The Baltic Times.
Simferopol was selected as the location for the first Ukrainian honorary consulate because of the large number of ethnic Estonians living in the region of Crimea. An increasing number of Estonian tourists were also visiting the region and the city.
Further honorary consulates are planned for the Ukrainian cities of Odessa and Lviv.
