Estonian PM to meet with Finnish counterpart in Helsinki

TALLINN – Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will meet Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Helsinki next Tuesday and participate together with her in an intergovernmental seminar focusing on future relations between Estonia and Finland.

Topics to be discussed at the meeting of the two premiers include energy cooperation, supporting Ukraine, security and NATO, bilateral cooperation and issues concerning the European Union.

At the seminar, government members from the two countries will focus on implementing the recommendations of the report on future cooperation between Estonia and Finland. The report, presented in spring of this year by Jaak Aaviksoo and Anne-Mari Virolainen, provides an overview of the current state of relations between Estonia and Finland and recommendations for new opportunities for cooperation, particularly in the digital field, advancement of the economy, the green future, and education and culture.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu, Minister of Education and Research Tonis Lukas, Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Riina Sikkut and Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Kristjan Jarvan will also participate in the seminar from Estonia. Finland will also be represented by the ministers of the respective fields.

In the afternoon, Kallas will give a presentation at the Finnish foreign policy think tank Paasikivi Society.

Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto will discuss, among other things, relations between Estonia and Finland and the security situation in Europe at a bilateral meeting.

Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Kristjan Jarvan and Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka will sign a joint statement on the digitalization of the logistics sector. Jarvan will also meet with Finnish startups at the "Maria 01" startup campus.

Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Riina Sikkut will visit the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, where she will discuss nuclear energy.

Minister of Education and Research Tonis Lukas will also visit the University of Helsinki, where he will meet with Pirjo Hiidenmaa, dean of the Faculty of Arts, Terhi Ainiala, head of the department of Finnish, Finno-Ugrian and Scandinavian studies, as well as professor Riho Grunthal and Estonian language lecturers Sigrid Kaasik-Krogerus and Annekatrin Kaivapalu.