Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Karin Jaani presented her credentials to Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg on Wednesday, 18 March.

During the conversation that took place after the presentation of credentials, Ambassador Jaani and Grand Duke Henri expressed satisfaction over the good and friendly relations between the two small countries, both noting that co-operation is steadily growing more intense in various sectors of the European Union such as the energy and climate packet and interior and justice issues. The ambassador and the grand duke also asserted that there is a need to enliven economic contacts and trade relations; one possibility mentioned was a business delegation from Luxembourg visiting Estonia.

Grand Duke Henri also emphasised the importance and necessity of co-operation among small nations in the European Union, declaring that co-operation among the Baltic and Benelux countries has begun to function very effectively. Other topics addressed were the difficult situation in the world economy and opportunities and solutions to alleviate its effects in Estonia and Luxembourg.

While talking about the economic difficulties that have arisen, Ambassador Jaani emphasised that “first and foremost we need to restore peoples’ trust in the financial sector and help each other make it through these hard times.” Jaani stated that nations should therefore avoid protectionist trade measures, since if they do not it will be difficult to revive the economy. “In today’s world it is not possible to seal yourself off to focus only on saving yourself. Everything is so tightly intertwined that without co-operation, we can not accomplish anything,” said Jaani.

The ambassador also gave an overview of Estonia’s advancements in acceding to the euro-zone, confirming that transitioning to the euro is another opportunity that would help stabilise the economy and therefore bring about growth.

They also discussed Estonia-Luxembourg regional and cultural co-operation and potentially organising joint development co-operation projects for the Balkan nations.

The grand duke confirmed his readiness to come to Estonia for a visit and expressed his desire to do so as soon as possible.

Ambassador Karin Jaani was born on 27 August 1952 in Ahja. She graduated from Tartu University in 1980 with a degree in English. Jaani has worked in the Estonian foreign service since 1995. She has been the ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and in the Russian Federation, the director of the Parliament’s external relations department, and the director general of the Foreign Ministry’s second political department.

Karin Jaani is also the Estonian ambassador to Belgium and Montenegro residing in Brussels.