Earlier this week, Estonian Ambassador to the U.S. Jonatan Vseviov and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation in Annapolis aimed at further developing relations between Estonia and the Maryland State Government.
“We have had long-running cooperation in security and defense with the state of Maryland, and we are definitely interested in continuing our comprehensive cooperation with the U.S., including on the state level,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) said according to a ministry press release.
Although close cooperation between Estonia and Maryland began in the early 1990s with military cooperation, links between the two have since expanded to include many fields, such as education, cyberspace, youth exchange and healthcare.
“It can be said that Estonia and the U.S. state of Maryland have a special relationship that includes both the practical as well as the symbolic,” Vseviov said. “Much of that cooperation takes place on the citizen level and thanks to help from volunteers. The signed and updated memorandum of cooperation sends a clear message: cooperation between Estonia and Maryland is also important politically — both to us as well as [Maryland].”
Cooperation with Maryland helps Estonia showcase itself in the U.S., the ministry noted. Among other things, Estonia’s close links with Maryland have inspired the latter to take an interest in learning from Estonia’s experience with e-solutions — and, where possible, implementing them. Maryland is likewise a good launchpad for Estonian companies entering the U.S. market.
