New Estonian ambassador to India presents credentials

New Estonian ambassador to India Katrin Kivi presented her credentials to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday, Baltic News Service reports.
Following the presentation ceremony, Kivi and Kovind reaffirmed the good relations between the two states, spokespersons for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BNS.
The president of India commended Estonia on its progress in e-governance, digitization and cybersecurity - areas which India is interested in closer cooperation in. President Kovind said that the Estonian government's steps in shaping the startup environment serve as an example to many.
For one thing, Estonia's open economic environment and digital services facilitate the entry of Indian businesses into the Estonian market, he said.
"I am pleased to say that trade growth between Estonia and India stood at 31 percent last year. Moreover, direct investments from India to Estonia also grew. Over 100 Estonian businesses are already operating in the Indian market. Supporting them and assisting new businesses in their entry into India is the priority of my mission," Ambassador Kivi said.
"Estonia and India as leading states in the field of cybersecurity should cooperate more to promote states' responsible behavior in the cyberspace. Digital development should be supported by international agreements on rules and efficient legal framework at the national level," she added.
President Kovind also congratulated Estonia on its non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council. The two states' cooperation within the UN will become even closer in 2021, when India is also to become a non-permanent member, he said.
Estonia's embassy in India was opened in 2013 in New Delhi, and Katrin Kivi is the country's third ambassador.
Since Estonia is currently covered by the Indian embassy in Helsinki, Kivi also invited the country to open an embassy in Tallinn, which would provide opportunities to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
Katrin Kivi began her career at the foreign ministry in 1993 as a diplomat in the foreign economic policy department. In 2005, she became deputy head of mission at the Estonian embassy in France and deputy permanent representative to UNESCO. From 2011 to 2015, she served as Estonia's ambassador to Denmark, and from 2015 to 2019 as Estonia's permanent representative on the Council of Europe.
She is also concurrently accredited to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore and Sri Lanka, according to BNS.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte