Estonia and Luxembourg

15.06.2010

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg recognised the Republic of Estonia on 22 February 1923 and re-recognised Estonia on 27 August 1991. Diplomatic relations were re-established on 29 August 1991.

There is no embassy of Estonia in Luxembourg and all Estonia’s Ambassadors to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg have resided in Brussels.

1993-1996 Clyde Kull
1996-1999 Jüri Luik
1999-2003 Sulev Kannike
2004-2009 Malle Talvet-Mustonen
2009 Karin Jaani

Estonia’s Honorary Consul in Luxembourg is Alexis Thielen.

Ambassador from Luxembourg to Estonia Jean Faltz presented his credentials on 31 January 2008. The ambassador resides in Prague. Since 26 February 2009, Luxembourg also has an honorary consul in Estonia, Vahur Kraft.

The bilateral relations of Estonia and Luxembourg are very good and quite close. Estonian Prime minister Andrus Ansip made his last visit to Luxembourg in July 2009. Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker’s official visit to Estonia took place in September 2007.

Visits

Agreements

• Agreement on Road Transport between Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (came into force 1.12.94);
• Agreement Between Estonia and the Belgo-Luxembourg Economic Union on the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments (came into force 23.09.99);
• Agreement Between Estonia and the States of Benelux on Readmission of Persons (came into force 1.02.05)
• Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Income and Capital Tax evasion (signed 23.05.2006)

Economic Relations

Trade

After accession to the EU, the import is calculated on the basis of the sending country, earlier this was based on the country of origin.

Commodity exhange between Estonia and Luxembourg is relatively restricted.

The mutual visits of business delegations have taken place regularly (1999, 2003, 2005), but trade between Estonia and Luxembourg is modest.

Total trade turnover with Luxembourg in 2009 was 8.3 million EUR. The trade balance was strongly in deficit -7.3 million EUR. On the basis of total turnover, Luxembourg ranked as Estonia’s 54th trade partner.

Estonian exports to Luxembourg in 2009 totalled 0.5 million EUR and imports from Luxembourg totalled 7.8 million EUR. In the ranking of export partners Luxembourg was in 84th place and among import partners it was in 38th place (0.1% of total imports).

Main export articles in 2009:

• Textile and textile products - 51.7%
• Transportation vehicles - 19.6%
• Machinery and equipment - 12.6%

Main import articles in 2009:

• Metals and metal products - 47.4%
• Machinery and equipment - 29.4%
• Animal products - 15.8%

All economic figures originate from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications

Investments

According to Bank of Estonia data, as of 31 December 2009 Luxembourg had made direct investments in Estonia in the value of 19 million EUR. This made up 1.68% of total foreign direct investments. Luxembourg ranked 10th among direct investors. The investments were made primarily in real estate rental and business activity (61%), financial intermediation (22%), the agricultural  industry (6%), and the rest in wholesale and retail trade and the transportation and communication sector.

As of the same date, Estonian direct investments in Luxembourg totalled 5.2 million EUR, primarily in the financial sectors.

Culture

Cultural relations between Estonia and Luxembourg are developing.

Within last years, concerts have been given in Luxembourg by Villu Veski and Tiit Kalluste together with the Argentinean Pipi Piazolla, Vox Clamantis and Olav Ehala, Andres Mustonen and Ivo Sillamaa. Christmas concerts have been arranged and Aldo Järvsoo’s and Tanel Veenre’s creative works in the field of fashion demonstrated. The Luxembourgish have also had an opportunity to watch Priit Pärn’s animations and Liina Siib’s poster art works. In May 2006, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra was at a concert tour in Estonia. The documentary film “The Singing Revolution”, about Estonia regaining its independence, has been screened in Luxembourg. Concerts have been given by the Maria Faust Ensemble (in the Sang&Klang Hall in April 2009), Jaak Sooäär on guitar and Tuule Kann on zither (kannel) (November 2009), and many others.

In August 2009 the Pascal Schumacher Quartet from Luxembourg performed at the Nargen Festival in Estonia; in December the film ”A Town Named Panic”, created in co-operation by Luxembourg, Belgium and France, was shown during the Black Nights Film Festival. The 92nd anniversary of the Republic of Estonia was celebrated in Luxembourg on 26 February 2010 in the restaurant of the Jean Monnet building (JMO) in Kirchberg, complete with the dance troupe “Känd ja käbid”. In March an exhibit of the paintings of Tiina Laan-Dondelinger, an Estonian artist living in Luxembourg, was opened in the Estonian Embassy in Brussels.

Estonians in Luxembourg

There live about 300 Estonians in Luxembourg; the majority of them work in the EU institutions. The Luxembourgish Estonian Society (LES) arranges numerous joint events. Also a home page for the Luxemburgish Estonians has been created at www.les.lu.