Donald Trump among heads of state sending independence day greetings

Congratulations on Estonian independence day have already started rolling in ahead of the actual day itself, with US President Donald Trump amongst those sending their regards to Estonian head of state Kersti Kaljulaid.
Independence day itself is on Sunday, 24 February, the 101st anniversary of the founding of the republic, and is when the traditional military parade and presidential reception will take place, amongst other festivities.
In his message to President Kaljulaid, President Trump noted that the US has stood beside Estonia since the two countries signed diplomatic relations into being in 1922, and that the US had never recognised the country's de facto Soviet occupation, which ended in 1991.
Other well-wishers from amongst the international roster of heads of states included King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King Felipe VI of Spain, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, President of India Ram Nath Kovind, Preside of Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba and President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov.
Plenty more independence greetings are likely to arrive between now and Sunday; over 100 people are being decorated, as per tradition, by President Kaljulaid on Friday, 22 February, including NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, of Norway, who is being decorated with the highest award to be bestowed on non-Estonian citizens, the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, First Class, and Finnish foreign minister Timo Soini, who receives the Terra Mariana Cross, Second Class.
Editor: Andrew Whyte