The Estonian foreign ministry invites all Estonians living abroad to take part in a survey to collect feedback on the engagement of the expat community and their satisfaction with consular services.
The foreign ministry said that “it was vital to keep in touch with the Estonian community across the globe. … Estonian embassies abroad are often the first point of contact for Estonians living abroad both when it comes to providing consular services – applications for passports and ID cards and ordering documents – as well as maintaining strong links between the Estonian community abroad and the Estonian state,” the Estonian foreign ministry said in a statement.
This is the first time such a survey has been carried out at ministerial level.
“Our embassies are also engaging expatriate Estonian communities in the social life of Estonia. It is important for all Estonians and people of Estonian origin living abroad to feel that they are welcome to contribute to the development of Estonia. In addition to helping us present Estonia across the globe, Estonian communities abroad also contribute to developing business ties and reinforcing Estonia’s international position,” the Estonian foreign minister, Urmas Reinsalu, said in a statement.
The survey is open to Estonians living abroad temporarily or permanently, including people from various generations of expat Estonians. The feedback collected is confidential and the results are presented only as the average of larger generalised groups; no personalised information will be recorded while filling out the questionnaire.
“The feedback helps the foreign ministry plan its work and development activities in a way that would best meet the expectations of Estonians living abroad. It will also help create a baseline for the indicators of the foreign policy strategy adopted this year,” the ministry added.
Cover: A group of Estonians celebrating in Clark island, Sydney, Australia. Photo by www.nansiphotography.com.
