Estonian Embassy in UK :: LATEST NEWS

3:AM Magazine - Maarja Kangro

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:14:27 GMT

Purge by Sofi Oksanen - UK premiere at Arcola Theatre

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:14:39 GMT

22 February - 24 March 2012 at 8.00pm
Sat matinees - 3, 10, 17 and 24 March at 3pm

Press Night Friday 24 February 2012 at 7pm

Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL

“The night we were all taken away for questioning...
you know, that night everything changed.”

Recognised as a potential Nobel prize-winner by the Swedish press, Sofi Oksanen reveals the fallout from the Soviet occupation of Estonia and the country’s independence in 1991 with this thrilling story of suspicion, secrets, betrayal and atonement.

A startling play and a best-selling novel Purge is the story of two women, Zara and Aliide, each from different generations, each troubled by a shameful past, and the dark unspoken history that binds them.

Originally written for and performed at the National Theatre of Finland, Oksanen transformed Purge from a play into a novel, which then became an international best-seller. Translated into over 38 languages, it was published in English in 2010 and was the Sunday Times Book of the Year.

With a Finnish father and an Estonian mother, Oksanen’s work has found a large audience throughout Europe. Her novel Purge has many avid readers and has won her numerous literary awards. The play has proved no less popular and the coming months will see twelve separate theatre productions of Purge open across Europe. Director Elgiva Field’s production at the Arcola marks the first time that the play has been seen in the UK.

Narrated through multiple story lines, Purge moves back and forth across time in a powerful drama that offers an unflinching exploration of the loss of freedom and the bitter price of survival.

Borealis Theatre brings the British premiere of Purge to London’s Arcola Theatre, whose history of presenting cutting edge writing from around the world makes it the ideal home for the play’s UK theatre debut.

The producers gratefully acknowledge the support of the Finnish and Estonian Embassies in this production of Purge, who say “This is a very exciting production for us; bringing one of Finland’s great playwrights and the country of Estonia to the UK stage”.

Press night on 24^th February will coincide with Estonian Independence day, which was celebrated on this day until the Soviet occupation in 1940. Following the restoration of the country’s independence, the 24^thbecame a public holiday.

The Telegraph: End of the ministerial Red Box in Cabinet high-tech drive

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:36:24 GMT

The Economist: Bliss in the Baltic

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:35:30 GMT

President Ilves: E-solutions support openness and democracy

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:49:31 GMT

Speaking at an international conference on e-solutions and cyber-security in London, Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves urged representatives of the 65 nations attending the event not to overlook the e-state and e-government and to provide both in the interests of their citizens.

President Ilves said that although he could focus on the darker side of the issue, with Estonia having been the first country to experience a cyber-attack, he would happily talk about the positives, giving his country as an example.

As one of the key speakers at the conference, to which decision-makers from more than fifty countries were invited by British foreign minister William Hague, the Estonian head of state drew a picture of contemporary Estonia including the X-road, digital signatures, e-elections, e-police, digital prescriptions and the opportunities offered by the www.eesti.ee portal.

“All of these e-solutions, which are used every day in Estonia, support openness and democracy, rein in corruption and make it much easier for our citizens to deal with the state,” said President Ilves, who is chairing the European Union’s working group on e-health care.

“It’s vital in a democratic society where more and more e-state-style solutions are being used that the information that’s collected about citizens is made available to the citizens themselves and that their being accessed by others is effectively obstructed and monitored,” he said.

Office of the President
Public Relations Department
Phone +372 631 6229

WSJ: How Innovation Lifts Estonia Into Europe’s Big Leagues

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:47:53 GMT

President Ilves meets British Prime Minister David Cameron

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:54:28 GMT

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who has arrived at the London Conference on Cyberspace, met British Prime Minister David Cameron today.

The British head of government acknowledged Estonia’s leading role in the field of online government services and cyber defence.

For his part, Ilves emphasized the critical importance of close international cooperation on cyberspace as well as domestic joint efforts between governments and private sector.

“We are well aware of cases where a state and private contractors have launched joint cyber attacks against another country,” said Ilves. “We, too, must tear down dividing walls so that together we can resist such malice. When it comes to cyber cooperation in the Nordic and Baltic area, naturally we see Great Britain as a strong and wise partner – both in adopting e-solutions and combating cyber threats.”

President Ilves and Prime Minister Cameron said that the financial and economic crisis affecting some of the countries in the euro area leaves not only the monetary union vulnerable, but all of the European Union and its partners elsewhere.

“There is no time now for populist rhetoric or evading the course that must be taken,” said Ilves. “We need responsibility in all of our decisions, whether on economic, domestic or foreign policy.”

The Estonian head of state and the British prime minister expressed dismay over the Greek prime minister’s recent decision to call a referendum on the EU’s second aid package, which was intended to help Greece’s crumbling economy back on its feet. Ilves and Cameron said the referendum will not help the European economy or ease the debt crisis.

President Ilves pledged to ensure Estonia remains securely in the ranks of countries that wish to seek a solution to the current problems. The Estonian head of state also raised the issue of the inequality of agricultural subsidies on the European Union’s internal market, where the prices of inputs are equal for all but where some member states enjoy subsidies many times higher than others.

“Estonia understands very well the importance of qualities such as collegiality and concerted action, and this gives us the right to expect the same kind of attitude from the European Union toward Estonia. The huge disparity in agricultural subsidies is galling, unjust and flouts the principles of the European Union,” said Ilves.

President Ilves invited Prime Minister Cameron to Estonia on a visit.

Office of the President
Public Relations Department
Phone +372 631 6229

President Ilves to attend an international conference in London devoted to e-solutions and cybersecurity

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:42:59 GMT

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves is flying to London today to attend a three-day conference at the invitation of British Foreign Minister, William Hague. Representatives of 65 countries will be discussing themes related to e-solutions and democracy, as well as cybersecurity.

The Estonian Head of State will be appearing on the programme along with U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and British Foreign Minister, William Hague, as well as Neelie Kroes, the Vice-President of the European Commission. President Ilves, who is the Head of the European Union’s Working Group on e-Health, is speaking on the important role played by e-solutions in bringing a state and its citizens closer together, and will present his vision of a democratic 21-century e-state.

Office of the President
Public Relations Department
Phone +372 631 6229

Let The Peoples Sing 2011: The winners of the Youth Category is the Youth Choir of Tallinn Music High School

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:49:00 GMT

BBC: How Estonia has avoided EU's economic problems

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:02:34 GMT

UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox visited Estonia on 30-31 August

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:37:50 GMT

UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox opened his visit to Estonia with a speech at the Baltic Defence College in Tartu on Tuesday, in which he thanked the members of the Estonian defence forces serving in Afghanistan and specifically highlighted the contribution of Estonian EOD personnel.

On 31 August, the Defence Secretary met with President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip and Defence Minister Mart Laar. The main topics dealt with at the meetings were cooperation in the mission in Afghanistan, Baltic air policing, defence cooperation between the two states and cyber defence.

Fox also visited the headquarters of the Kaitseliit (Defence League) volunteer corps, the 1st Infantry Brigade and the Amari air base.

Press conference of Defence Minister Mart Laar and UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox on 31 August.

BBC: Estonian lessons for the Arab Spring

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:09:33 GMT

The Telegraph: Roads to revolution: the Baltics revisited - Tartu to Tallinn by Adrian Bridge

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:09:18 GMT

The Dedalus Book of Estonian Literature

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:19:08 GMT

Author: Jan Kaus
Translator: Eric Dickens
Cover design: Marie Lane
Cover illustration: Jüri Arrak

The Dedalus Book of Estonian Literature offers a wide-ranging selection of fiction from the end of the nineteenth century until the present day, including work by Estonia’s classic and most important contemporary authors. This is the most important selection of Estonian fiction to have appeared in English and will be essential reading for anyone wanting to gain an idea of Estonian Literature and for the many British visitors to Estonia.

Estonia is one of the smallest and least populated countries in the European Union. It has a population of about 1.4 million. For most of its history it has been part of its larger neighbours, Sweden and Russia. It regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.It is really in the nineteenth- century that Estonian Literature develops and a prose tradition established. This anthology features work by significant authors in this period such as Eduard Vilde and Juhan Liiv and extends to the modern day with contributions from leading contemporary authors such as Peeter Sauter and Eeva Park. Estonia’s most famous and widely-translated author is Jaan Kross, who could become the first Estonian author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He is represented in the anthology by Uncle (1990).

Contents

Upheavals in the Borderlands: Jan Kaus
Maiden of the North: August Gailit
Flash Photography: Karl August Hindrey
Bread: Eduard Vilde
On Lake Peipsi: Juhan Liiv
Bird Cherry Petals: Friedebert Tuglas
Grandfather’s Death: Anton Hansen Tammsaare
Night of Souls: Karl Ristikivi
Eight Japanese Ladies: Arvo Valton
Uncle: Jaan Kross
An Empty Beach: Mati Unt
The Collector: Rein Saluri
The Rococo Lady: Maimu Berg
Chance Encounter: Eeva Park
Stomach Ache: Peeter Sauter
Nuuma Aljla: Madis Ktiv
Aspendal the Rainmaker: Mehis Heinsaar
Afterword

RRP: £9.99
No. of pages: 303
Publication date: 17 August, 2011
Re-print date: unspecified
Catalogue/ISBN no: 978 1 903517 95 6

Compilation and World English Language in this Translation.

Buy from: Amazon.co.uk

The Economist: Estonian exceptionalism

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:51:06 GMT

theartsdesk Q&A: Conductor Neeme Järvi

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:19:19 GMT

UK Defence Secretary: The contribution of the Estonian soldiers in Afghanistan is remarkable

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:56:46 GMT

Yesterday, on 16 June UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox and the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope visited the Estonian patrol base in Afghanistan's Helmand Province.

"The Estonians are some of our most loyal allies," Defence Secretary Fox said at the meeting with Estonian forces. "Your dedication is remarkable. If all our allies contributed as much and with similar dedication as Estonians, our life in Afghanistan would be much easier."

It was the first British high-level visit to the Estonian patrol base. The defence secretary and the admiral met with the Estonian soldiers and were informed about the service and patrol base of the Estonian Estoy-12 infantry company.

Estcoy-12 began its service in Helmand, Afghanistan in May. Estcoy-12 is securing their area of responsibility to ensure the safety of local residents; alongside the Afghan National Army and police they also support reconstruction efforts and keep the area clear of improvised explosive devices.

The Estonian contingent in Afghanistan consists of an infantry company, a logistic support unit, a close protection team, a surgical team and staff officers.

Photo: Estonian Defence Forces
The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox, Company Commander Maj. Martin Kukk and Deputy Company Commander Maj. Andrus Reinstein.

Estonian Ambassador Aino Lepik von Wirén visited MC Northwood

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:38:05 GMT

Estonian Ambassador to the UK Aino Lepik von Wirén and defence attaché LtCol. Vahur Väljamäe visited Maritime Command Northwood on 15 June. The ambassador was given an overview of the activities of NATO and EU Maritime Components as well as Operation Ocean Shield, NATO’s contribution to international efforts to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa, and Operation ATALANTA, the European Union’s Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) counter-piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin.

Vice Admiral Hans-Jochen Witthauer, Deputy Commander of Allied Maritime Component Command Northwood, welcomed Ambassador Lepik von Wirén, saying that the Estonian contribution to the NATO Allied Command Operations is important and necessary. “You cannot work without dedicated people,” said the vice admiral, adding that he often uses Estonia as a good example of a valuable contribution. The ambassador stressed that Estonia considers actively contributing to NATO very important and that raising defence expenditures to 2% of GDP is a target for 2012.

The ambassador and the defence attaché also met with Rear Admiral Hank Ort, the Chief of Staff to the Allied Maritime Component Command Northwood, Commodore Bruce Belliveau, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, and Estonian Commander Peeter Ivask, Training Officer in the Exercise and Training Division.

Estonia has contributed regularly to the Standing NATO Response Force Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) since the year 2005. From May 2005 to March 2006 ENS Admiral Pitka was assigned as the Command and Support Ship of SNMCMG1, which is part of the NRF maritime capability. ENS Admiral Pitka was the first vessel from the Baltic navies to be part of the force. SNMCMG1 is also one of the main partners of the Estonian Navy in NATO.

It's Official: Tallinn To Become EU's IT Headquarters

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:34:26 GMT

On June 9, European Union ministers approved a compromise made by the European Parliament and Council of the EU to establish the headquarters of the EU's IT-agency in Tallinn.

Estonia and France had been tussling over the rights to host the new agency until they reached a sharing agreement last year. The body will be inaugurated in 2012.

Media outlets had earlier reported that Tallinn's bid to host the agency's headquarters was a done deal, however the June 9 decision made at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg makes it official.

"While the location of the agency was already decided months ago, today's compromise removed the last obstacles set by the council for establishing the agency," said Minister of the Interior Ken-Marti Vaher, adding that any additional postponement would jeopardize the EU's goal of ensuring internal security.

The agency's task will be to manage and develop the EU's large-scale IT systems.

While the organization's main building will be located in Tallinn, its data storage centers will be housed in Strasbourg and in the small Austrian town of Sankt Johann im Pongau.

http://news.err.ee/politics/50bcfc35-1061-48b9-b12a-e47594d7fc84

Lt. Gen. Ants Laaneots: Our main task is to prepare the Afghan security forces for accepting responsibility in the future

Wed, 25 May 2011 13:04:16 GMT

During an official visit to the UK, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Lt. Gen. Ants Laaneots talked about cooperation between the Estonian and British forces in Afghanistan with the Chief of the Defence Staff of Britain Gen. David Richards and visited the operations command in Northwood.

Lt. Gen. Ants Laaneots received an overview of the security situation in Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries, primarily Pakistan, as well as plans to hand over responsibility to the Afghan security forces and the situation in the area of responsibility of the Estonian and British units in Afghanistan.

"Our main task is to prepare the Afghan security forces for accepting responsibility in the future," said Lt. Gen. Laaneots. "Next to every Afghan soldier and police officer there must be an allied soldier." According to the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, supporting the Afghan security forces is nothing new for the Estonian company, as Estonian personnel are already regularly carrying out operations in collaboration with Afghan army and police units. "We must also emphasise deepening instructor skills for the future training of units," he said.

Lt. Gen. Ants Laaneots stated that the top British military command was satisfied with the professionalism, weaponry, and equipment of the Estonian units and that the structure and weapons of the units will not change in the near future. “In the discussion with my UK colleague we agreed that the unmanned Raven reconnaissance aircraft deployed in the operation have justified themselves,” Laaneots said.

During the visit, Lt. Gen. Laaneots presented Lt. Col. Robby Boyd, the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (2 LANCS), with an Estonian Defence Forces Meritorious Service Cross for his support and cooperation in leading the ISAF partner nations’ forces in Afghanistan in 2010.

In addition, Lt. Gen. Laaneots and his British colleague spoke about developments in other NATO operations, primarily in Libya, as well as matters of Baltic air policing. Laaneots was also given a comprehensive overview of UK cyber defence-related activities. The Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces invited his British colleague to support the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Estonia.

On Wednesday, the Estonian defence chief visited the medical rehabilitation centre at Headley Court and meet with the Estonian soldiers injured in Afghanistan who are being treated there.

Defence cooperation between Estonia and the United Kingdom dates back to the times of the Estonian War of Independence. Since 2006 the Estonian contingent has participated in the British-led PRT in Afghanistan and there is close cooperation between the leaders on the operational level. The Estonian Navy uses mine-hunters purchased from the United Kingdom. Several Estonian senior officers have studied in higher military educational institutions in the UK and members of the Estonian Defence Forces have participated in various courses there.

Lt. Gen. Laaneots will return to Estonia on Wednesday evening.

See photos of the visit on Embassy Flickr page