Watch again: Webinar marks 100 years of Estonian-UK diplomatic relations
Tuesday sees the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Estonia and the United Kingdom, and to mark the event, embassies from both countries organized an online webinar.
The two-hour webinar featured a centenary message from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself no stranger to Estonia, having visited the country in an official capacity more than once - the last time in December 2019.
The event marking the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Estonian-British diplomatic relations wasorganized by the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University and the University of Tartu, the Estonian Embassy in London, the British Embassy in Tallinn, and the Estonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ambassadors from each country to the other also took part on the panel.
The webinar was moderated by Charles Clarke, U.K. Home Secretary 2004-2006 during Tony Blair's premiership, and featured a panel made up of:
- Patrick Salmon, Chief historian at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and an expert on Britain's relationship with the Baltic.
- Kaarel Piirimäe, Associate professor at the Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu and a senior research fellow at the Estonian War Museum.
- Märt Volmer, Undersecretary for European Affairs at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Wendy Morton MP, Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
- Theresa Bubbear, British Ambassador to Estonia.
- Tiina Intelmann, Estonian Ambassador to the U.K.
The event can be viewed by clicking the YouTube link here, or by clicking the video at the top of this page.
Other recent events marking the establishment of U.K.-Estonian foreign relations – which followed Estonia's declaration of independence on February 24 1918 and the subsequent Tartu Peace Treaty of 1920, which ended a war for independence in which British forces played a significant role, include the launching of Cambridge University's Baltic Geopolitics program by President Kersti Kaljulaid.
The British Embassy in Estonia is also running a series of short video clips featuring former and current ambassadors to Estonia, and, vice versa, Estonian ambassadors to the U.K., and their impressions of and reminiscences about the respective countries, which can be viewed here.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also issued this video greeting on the day of the event.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
