Estonia, EU – Baltic States, History, Legislation

Finland was the first state to recognize the independence of Estonia on June 8, 1920, following the signing of the Tartu Peace Treaty.

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu and his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto will symbolically sign the 100-year-old recognition document, which will subsequently be hung on the walls of the two states' embassies to commemorate the historical day. The signing will simultaneously take place at the Estonian embassy in Helsinki and the Finnish embassy in Tallinn. Former ambassadors and key parties to the restoration of Estonia's independence have also been invited to attend the ceremony.

"Finland has been a good friend and ally to Estonia throughout the years," Reinsalu said. "Close and open communication between our two similar but also different states has enriched both of them. With one hundred years of diplomatic relations behind us, we now have the new centuries ahead of us."