The Estonian Cooperation Assembly, set up in 2007 when Toomas Hendrik Ilves was president, used the 84-year-old house's former ice cellar for its office, which it has now had to vacate.

Estonian Cooperation Assembly manager Mairi Tilga says that presidential staff required the room due to pressures on office space elsewhere in the building.

Presidential press secretary Taavi Linnamäe says renovation due in the coming years means that the office staff may need to make way for the refurbishment work.

Linnamäe added that the current president, Kersti Kaljulaid, will not be using the ice cellar space after her term ends in mid-October.

Mairi Tilga said her organization has already vacated and is now renting in shared space with the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Eesti Kaubandus-Tööstuskoda).

The cooperation assembly had been renting the space for several years, from their own budget, Tilga said.

The Estonian Cooperation Assembly falls under the Office of the President of the Republic's remit, and develops both cooperation between non-governmental organizations and also policy recommendations.

It manages the Citizen Initiative Portal (Rahvaalgatus) portal. A recent petition on the portal picked up over 14,000 signatures in favor of Kersti Kaljulaid getting a second term as president.

The Presidential Palace, officially known as the Kadriorg Administrative Building, or more colloquially as simply Kadriorg, is in the area of the same name, east of Tallinn city center. It is adjacent to the Kadriorg Palace, which is open to visitors and was built around 300 years ago, by Peter the Great.

It is due for a €17-million makeover, to include greater security features and also features in the adjacent Rose Garden.

President-elect Alar Karis says the logistics of the handover in October are under discussion.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!