The Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office marks its 25th anniversary in Estonia in 2016. In the last quarter of a century the Nordic countries and Estonia have become partners who have experience to share and much to learn from one another.
The most valuable asset that the Nordic countries and Estonia share is their people – their personal memories and values, their friends, inspiring personalities and their visions of the future.
In the last 25 years we have met a lot of interesting people who are moving the Nordic-Baltic region forward. We asked 21 people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – seven from each country – to share their ideas for the future and special moments that relate to the Nordic countries. All three countries were canvassed because the Nordic Council of Ministers also opened offices in Rīga and Vilnius in early 1991.
Sharing their earliest memories of the Nordics from Estonia are former Minister of Foreign Affairs and diplomat Marina Kaljurand; writer, former politician and ambassador Jaak Jõerüüt; Minister of Finance Sven Sester; fashion designer Reet Aus; IT visionary and entrepreneur Linnar Viik; Black Nights Film Festival founder and director Tiina Lokk; and Tallinn Music Week founder and manager Helen Sildna. We also asked them who they would like to change places with from the Nordic countries; what challenge the Nordics and Estonia should face together in the near future; and what they have to learn from one another.
During the second half of 2016 you will be able to watch and listen to their video stories on our Facebook,Twitter and YouTube pages. We gave everyone the chance to speak in their native language and added English subtitles to the videos. The videos from all three countries can be found via the hashtag #NordicBaltic25.