16 November 2016
The Estonian Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Mr Lauri Bambus, will visit Jersey tomorrow (17 November 2016).
During his visit, the Ambassador will meet the Bailiff, Mr William Bailhache, the Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, the Minister for External Relations, Senator Sir Philip Bailhache, and the Assistant Chief Minister, Senator Philip Ozouf. Mr Bambus will also meet representatives of the Island’s digital community and financial services industry.
The Ambassador’s visit follows a Government of Jersey digital fact-finding visit to Estonia in September this year, during which Senator Ozouf and Deputy Scott Wickenden attended the Future of Identity conference in Tallinn. This was part of an ongoing programme to strengthen ties between Jersey and Estonia, which is a D5 member state and one of the world’s leading digital jurisdictions, particularly in the field of eGov.
During his visit, the Ambassador will officially appoint an Honorary Consul for Estonia in Jersey. Local resident, Mr Auberon Ashbrooke, will formally take on the honorary post at a reception at St Helier Town Hall.
Senator Bailhache commented “I look forward to welcoming the Ambassador to Jersey and to discussing matters of mutual interest. There is already much common ground between our two governments, particularly in the digital sector, and I hope that we might also have occasion to introduce the Ambassador to Jersey’s culture and history during his stay.”
Senator Ozouf added “Estonia is a leading digital jurisdiction, especially in the field of eGov, and the Government of Jersey is keen to continue engaging closely with our counterparts in Tallinn and learning from their accomplishments. Through our own expertise in financial services, there is also a natural partnership of mutual benefit between our two governments. It is important, post-Brexit, that we remain committed to building on the already strong relationships that we enjoy with key European partners.”
Estonia will hold the rotating EU Presidency instead of the UK from July to December next year.
gov.je