Estonia Intensifies Cooperation with Belgium

19.09.2007

On September 19, the director general of the 2nd Politics Department of the Estonian Foreign Ministry Karin Jaani, and the vice director of the Belgian Francophone Community and the Commissariat of Wallonia Charles-Etienne Lagasse signed a cooperation protocol that allows for significantly closer mutual relations.

The action plan for the years 2008-2010 is based on a contract signed in December 2001, according to which new prioritised areas of cooperation and specific projects arising thereof are agreed upon every three years. Both parties of the contract are interested in scientific, academic and environmental cooperation, and projects relating to the field of culture and education.

According to Karin Jaani, the head of the Estonian delegation, the projects chosen for the action plan of 2004-2007 have generally been successful. “Thus far, our cooperation has shown good results in several areas, such as culture, environment, and French language training. However, in some fields we ought to start showing greater initiative,” Jaani believes. She refers to the art exhibitions of Eduard Viiralt and Felicien Rops earlier this year as great examples of a well functioning cultural exchange project. Upon meeting Charles-Etienne Lagasse, Jaani also stressed the importance of student exchange.

Over the next three years, Estonia and the Francophone community of Belgium plan to share their experience in the environment-friendly technology of fruits and vegetables, analyse problems concerning water and waste treatment, exchange performances by student theatres and support the publication of a voluminous French-Estonian dictionary.