An official ceremony marking the opening of Ukraine’s Honorary Consulate, headed by Siim Nellis, was held in the Estonian city of Tartu.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Estonia reported the opening on Facebook.
The ceremony was attended by Ukrainian Ambassador to Estonia Volodymyr Boiechko, Tartu Mayor Urmas Klaas, Director General of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Department at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Erika Ellamaa-Ots, University of Tartu Rector Toomas Asser, head of the Ukrainian Centre at the University of Tartu Dmytro Khutkyi, representatives of the Baltic Defence College, local authorities and the Ukrainian community, as well as volunteers and Estonians supporting Ukraine.
During his address, Boiechko stressed that the opening of the consulate expands Ukraine’s presence in southern Estonia and creates new opportunities for developing bilateral cooperation at the local level.
The ambassador thanked Estonia for its continued solidarity with Ukraine. He expressed particular gratitude to the city of Tartu and Mayor Urmas Klaas for supporting Ukrainians and for hosting a group of Ukrainian children for a holiday in June this year.
Boiechko also highlighted Siim Nellis’s personal contribution to supporting Ukraine. Before his appointment as honorary consul, Nellis supported Ukrainian defenders through the Saunas for Ukraine initiative, helped implement Ukrainian cultural and volunteer projects in Estonia, and promoted economic ties between Ukraine and Estonia.
For his activities in support of Ukraine, Nellis was awarded the Ukrainian President’s Golden Heart distinction.
The embassy said the Honorary Consulate will focus on supporting Ukrainians in the region, establishing new partnerships between universities, businesses and local communities, and deepening cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and Estonia.
