Estonia opens new honorary consulates in Portland, San Francisco

TALLINN – Estonia opened new honorary consulates in Portland and San Francisco earlier this week, with a view to helping Estonian companies and citizens and contributing to cooperation between Estonia and the United States.

Mariin Ratnik, deputy secretary general of the Foreign Ministry for economic and development affairs, described both Portland and San Francisco as important hubs for Estonian companies.

"Whereas the San Francisco Bay area is famous as a business center, Portland is potentially just as important for us. More than 1,200 tech companies are based here, the largest local employer is Intel, and Nike's headquarters are located here," Ratnik said in a press release.

"Located between Seattle and San Francisco, Portland is used by many companies as a base to cover northwestern US, as operating expenses can be lower here and the business environment is more open to newcomers," the official added.

Estonia's new honorary consul in Portland is Skip Newberry, who was a businessman and economic advisor to the mayor of Portland and is currently the president of the Technology Association of Oregon. He is an active advocate on technology, business, and private and public sector cooperation.

"I am deeply honored to represent Estonia in Portland. The country’s pioneering approach to digital transformation and innovation aligns with many of the ongoing efforts in Portland. I look forward to building partnerships and making connections that strengthen our mutual interests," Newberry said.

Estonia's new honorary consul in San Francisco is Christine Marie Morgan, who has an Estonian background. She is a partner and an intellectual property and commercial trial lawyer at Reed Smith.

"Estonia and San Francisco are both defined by bold ideas and a drive to shape the future through digital innovation. I am honored to help bridge these two dynamic innovation hubs, creating opportunities for collaboration that inspire progress on a global scale," Morgan said.

There is a large Estonian community on the US West Coast and Estonians who are long-term US residents can contact honorary consuls for assistance if necessary -- both when they need new identity documents or when they have lost their documents.

"Two honorary consuls with a notable business network and background are a great boon to our companies when it comes to boosting relations. For example, they can provide advice and assistance in making contacts," Ratnik said.

Estonia now has a total of 17 honorary consulates in the United States.