In spring 1991 the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) was one of the first international organisations opening an office in the newly independent Estonia. Since then the NCM, which conducts formal cooperation between the governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and three autonomous territories – Greenland, Faeroe Islands and Åland Islands – has included its neighbouring countries in the East more and more in its activities and policies.

Initially, cooperation with the three Baltic countries took the form of development aid but this epoch ended in May 2004 when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the European Union. Nowadays Nordic-Baltic cooperation is a mutually beneficial and equal partnership.

This foremost political partnership is based on common values like democracy, good governing, equality, freedom of speech, tolerance and gender equality. Among others close cultural contacts and cooperation between non-governmental organisations is strengthening the Nordic-Baltic cohesion and better understanding of each other.

More benefits both at home and abroad

This deepening partnership helps governments to offer more benefits to its citizens, businesses, investors and workers in the Baltic Sea region. At the same time this cooperation helps to promote regions’ competitiveness in the challenges of globalisation.

The NCM has particular interest in developing cooperation in the following fields:

• education, science and innovation,
• business, cluster cooperation and creative industries,
• environment, climate and energy,
• international challenges facing the welfare society (for example human trafficking, the spread of HIV and aids, promoting police and prosecutor cooperation, medical services, demographic problems, etc.),
• cross-border regional cooperation.

To facilitate and promote cooperation the NCM organises thematic and pan-Nordic activities, among others seminars, workshops, conferences and exhibitions. Diverse support programmes, cooperation projects and lifelong learning also place high on the NCM’s agenda.

Productive cooperation

The NCM’s Office in Estonia and its headquarters in Tallinn are at the heart of fulfilling these goals and activities, whereas its branch office in Tartu can’t be underestimated. Although there’s just one employee, the branch office coordinates science, education and border-regions’ cooperation as its main task as well as administrates the Nordic-Baltic Public Administration Mobility Programme. Tartu is a university town and the cooperation with the University of Tartu and Estonian University of Life Sciences is of great importance for the office in Tartu. In addition, information is being spread by infocentres in Narva, Pärnu and Valga.

Throughout the years of work of the NCM’s Office in Estonia the relations of Estonia and the Nordic countries have become closer and more productive. The number of good partners with whom Nordic and Estonian matters have been dealt with has been growing through the years, so it would be rather complicated to compile an exhaustive list of them. We kindly encourage you to submit proposals for cooperation to us or simply come and talk to us. Several valuable projects have been brought to life this way.

This cooperation also has clearly-measurable and inspiring results. The Nordic Forum, which has been handling subjects essential in Estonian and Nordic societies alike, has over the years been a thankworthy springboard for sharing experience between Estonian and Nordic scientists, civil servants and specialists and for the initiation of joint actions. Through the Nordic Forums the dialogues about equality between men and women and sustainable energy have appreciably been enlivened, as well as the creative industries. It is greatly thanks to how the subject of equality has been vigorously presented in various seminars and workshops that a respective department started work in the Ministry of Social Affairs in Estonia.

As a result of long-term negotiations, in 2008 Estonia joined the Nordic education mobility programme, NordPlus, which enables Estonian pupils, students and teachers to easily acquire knowledge and experience in the Nordic Countries. Joint Nordic-Baltic mobility programmes in the fields of public administration, business and culture for the period 2009-2013 were launched by the NCM and the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Cultural cooperation and cohesion development got a magnificent kick-off by the Nordic Culture Festival in 1997. At present culture cooperation is looking towards the creative industries.