Kallas said at the ceremony, attended by her Finnish opposite number Sanna Marin, that: "When Estonia was occupied by the Soviets, the embassy's doors were sealed and the then-ambassador handed over the keys to the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He asked them to keep them carefully, because one day they might be needed again. And so they were."

The prime minister said that cooperation between Estonia and Finland has been very strong over the years and has gradually deepened even further.

"The geographical proximity of our countries and the historical-cultural ties create all the preconditions for close and natural communication," she went on.

Kallas noted that Estonia and Finland have pioneered the implementation of several data exchange projects which she says help to provide better services to cross-border citizens and businesses, and save time and money.

"With this, we set an example not only in Europe, but also globally. I hope that in the future, we will also be able to demonstrate a common goal in green technologies, for example," Kallas continued.

The third report on the prospects for Estonia-Finland cooperation, which is to be completed at the beginning of next year, will help bring the cooperation between the two countries to a new level and aims to provide a vision and new ideas for deepening bilateral relations, BNS reports.

Climate change was also on the table.

"The world is facing major changes in energy, climate, security and connectivity policies. All this requires a spirit of cooperation and determination. The most sensible way is to look for solutions together," Kallas continued.

The two prime ministers also talked about the situation in Belarus, progress on the Rail Baltica project and the conclusions of the Tallinn Digital Summit.

The Estonian embassy building, in the Kaivopuisto district and close to the park of the same name, hosted the Estonian diplomatic mission to Finland before World War Two and as the only purpose-built Estonian embassy still to be functioning, the foreign ministry says.

Architects and engineers were from Estonian firm Projekt Kuubis OÜ, while Piret Noor and Jan Skolimowski of KAMP Arhitektid OÜ carried out the interior design.

While in Helsinki, Kallas also met with Finnish business leaders and visited an exhibition showcasing the work of Estonian artist Konrad Mägi (1878-1925) at the EMMA Art Museum, in Espoo.

This piece was updated to include comment from Kaja Kallas on Estonian-Finnish relations.

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