Estonian Charge d’Affaires Visits Edmonton

Dave Kiil

Argo Küünemäe, the Charge d’Affaires at the Estonian Embassy in Ottawa, spent a couple of days in Edmonton as part of a pre-Christmas 2005 western tour of British Columbia and Alberta. This was his first visit to Edmonton and very much appreciated by the local Estonian community.

Estonian expatriates and descendants of Estonian pioneers who settled in Alberta over a century ago took advantage of the opportunity to meet Mr. Küünemäe and to discuss and resolve issues around such topics as land claims, travel conditions and applications for Estonian passports.

Individuals who have not applied to obtain an Estonian passport may wish to do so in the future. Estonia is now a full-fledged member of the European Union and NATO and an Estonian passport may open many opportunities in the future, especially for the children and grandchildren of parents and grandparents with Estonian citizenship. Anyone with an Estonian passport is, of course, entitled to travel in all member states of the European Union.

A small group of Edmonton Estonians- Eda MacClung, Külliva Kangur and Ain Dave Kiil- became better acquainted with the Estonian diplomat around a dinner table at historic Hotel Macdonald. The conversation touched on recent happenings in Estonia, the role and responsibility of the Estonian Embassy in Ottawa, and Alberta’s unique and widely-dispersed Estonian community. We were impressed with Mr. Küünemäe’s hands-on approach in meeting client’s needs for information and his interest in the activities of the relatively small Estonian community situated some 3000 km from his office.

Following his stay in Edmonton, Mr. Küünemäe traveled to Canmore, a thriving resort community a few kilometers outside Banff National Park, to cheer for Jana Rehemaa, a cross-country skier representing Estonia in a World Cup event held there.