Keit Pentus-Rosimannus Proposed As Estonia's New Foreign Minister
Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas nominated Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, currently the Minister of the Environment, as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing Urmas Paet, who will fill Estonia's vacant seat in the European Parliament.
Pentus-Rosimannus now needs an approval from President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and the Parliament.
Paet, who served as Estonia's foreign minister for almost 10 years, reversed his earlier refusal to take the post on Monday. Paet will replace Andrus Ansip, who became a European Commission vice president for the single digital market.
Pentus-Rosimannus, 39, is a vice-chairwoman of the Reform Party and has served as the Minister of Environment since 2011.
Pentus-Rosimannus studied piano in Tallinn Musical High School and in Tallinn's Baccalaureate Private School (today’s University Nord), which she graduated from in 1995 with honors. In 2000, she graduated with a degree in public administration and European Union affairs from Tallinn University.
She first got involved with the Reform Party in 1996, when she was hired as an election manager. In 1997, Pentus-Rosimannus was among the Reform Party's future leaders who established a club for young politicians.
Pentus-Rosimannus later worked as a political advisor in the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2003-05, she was in charge of the Central Tallinn district at the Tallinn City Council. In 2005, she became the head of Ansip's office, then prime minister.
Pentus-Rosimannus became a member of the Estonian Parliament in 2007 and has gradually moved up in the Reform Party hierarchy since. Together with Taavi Rõivas and Kristen Michal, currently in charge of the Reform Party parliamentary group, Pentus-Rosimannus is among the most prominent members of a new generation Reform Party politicians.
Rõivas also nominated Mati Raidma as the new Minister of the Environment. Raidma is currently the chairman of the National Defense Committee in the Parliament.
While proposing the new ministers, Prime Minister emphasised that both candidates are professional and experienced politicians.
„In nominating Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, I took into account her long experience as a cabinet member in the Estonian Government. I am confident that she will be successful in her new position,“ Taavi Rõivas said.
Pentus-Rosimannus confirmed that she would continue with the current foreign policy initiatives.
„One of my priorities is to assure that the security of Estonia is quaranteed, relations with our allies are solid, and Estonia's involvement in NATO is efficient. Estonia is one of the internationally most integrated countries in the region and my task is to make sure that we would be involved in the process when the major international decisions are taken. It is very important that Estonia is a valued and trustworthy member of the international community,“ Pentus-Rosimannus said.