Marina Kaljurand, Undersecretary at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Uffe Balslev, Ambassador of Denmark in Estonia. Photo: Rene Pringi

Fulfilment of the Maastricht criteria, finishing of accession negotiations with the OECD, the first signs of improvement in exports, the first signs of possible economic growth and a better image of Estonia are the positive things to come out of an otherwise difficult 2009 according to Marina Kaljurand, the Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Today we can see that the political and financial decisions taken in Estonia were right, but nothing has come for free – it's come at a significant cost," said Kaljurand at a reception of the Finnish, Swedish, Danish Chambers of Commerce in Estonia and the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) Office in Estonia in February. "Cuts in wages, cuts in personnel, the high unemployment rate and lost jobs are all personal tragedies, and there is uncertainty about the future."

Karen Ellemann. Photo: Johannes Jansson/norden.org

As a result of this week's major government reshuffle in Denmark, the post of Minister for Nordic Co-operation has been reallocated. Experienced minister Bertel Haarder has been replaced by Karen Ellemann, who is also in charge of Danish environmental policy.

"I'm happy to be taking on this role, and I am especially keen to find common solutions to the big challenges presented by globalisation for the Nordic countries," says Ellemann. The daughter of the famous Nordic veteran politician Uffe Ellemann-Jenseni, Ellemann was first voted into Parliament in 2007. A educated teacher, Ellemann has been heavily involved in the Danish Liberal Party's integration and family policies.

Saint Petersburg in Russia. Photo: Merete Bendiksen/norden.org

"The economic crisis has hit hard in a country which is the world's largest energy producer and exporter. This has meant tighter conditions for the media and it seems difficult to have a meaningful public debate on Russian social conditions," says a new report from the Nordic Journalist Center.

35,000 registered newspapers, almost 1,000 radio stations and more than 1,000 television channels indicate a huge press coverage of Dimitrij Medvedev's and Vladimir Putin's new Russia. However, the free independent press is still a relative concept. Russian television is dominated by channels which are either directly owned by the state, or owned by companies with close ties to those with political power.

Icelandic ambassador Elin Flygenring and President of the Republic of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Photo: Erik Peinar/Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Icelandic ambassador Elín Flygenring, who presented her credentials to President of the Republic of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves on 19 February, also met with Carita Pettersson, director of the Estonian office of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Flygenring stated that she is very interested in fruitful cooperation, particularly on energy matters and in the field of culture. Amongst other things, the Icelandic embassy hosts a variety of unusual touring exhibitions.

New Nordic Food. Photo: Liv Lønne Dille/norden.org

Who could ever forget the unwritten, if oft spoken, rule we all learnt as children at the dining table: "Don't play with your food!" And quite right, too, says Madis Tilga, an adviser with the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia in this opinion article. At least in the sense of careless or malicious handling.

You have to wonder how this fundamental rule – which clearly dates back to the days of Erasmus in Rotterdam – has affected gastronomy. Looking at the phenomenon of Ferran and Albert Adria's art of cuisine, it is hard to resist the temptation to see the role of culture and religion in the free interpretation of this no-no. Could it actually be the case that a more liberal interpretation of the moral norm within Catholic cultural space has gifted the ElBull restaurant and the Adria brothers the advantage in remaining at the top of their game in the culinary arts for so long? They play with their food in the most literal sense of the word possible!