14 September, Estonia’s new ambassador to Israel Veikko Kala presented his credentials to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem.
In a conversation following the ceremony, Kala and Herzog highlighted the digitalisation of public sector services as a topic of mutual interest and benefit, and noted it would be useful to boost cooperation in this area. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit our societies; however, it has also provided opportunities for innovation and accelerated the uptake of various digital solutions, including in the education system. Estonia is ready to share its experiences.
They also discussed foreign policy topics, the security situation in the Middle East and the situation in the Baltic Sea region. At the end of the meeting, President Herzog said he hoped to meet Estonia’s president-elect.
Next year, Estonia and Israel celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Estonia opened its embassy in Tel Aviv in November 2009. Nearly 800 Estonian nationals live in Israel and an Estonian cultural society was founded this year.
Veikko Kala was born on 12 February 1981 in Tartu. He joined the Foreign Ministry in 2005 and has worked in various positions, including at the Estonian embassy in Vienna, and as deputy head of the Estonian embassy in Moscow. From 2019 to 2021, he was the foreign policy adviser of the prime minister and then assumed his duties as the ambassador to Israel.
