Toetus Eesti San Francisco peakonsulaadi jätkamiseks allkirjadega) – eesti keeles

October 6, 2023 – Estonians by the Bay

Estonians and friends of Estonia in the Bay Area and on the West Coast are deeply concerned and dismayed by the planned closure of the Consulate General of Estonia in San Francisco next year.

Opened in 2019 and only fully functional since 2020, during this brief time the consulate in San Francisco has become an essential part of Estonian life in the Bay Area, as well as across the western United States. By developing close connections with the business, diplomatic, governmental, educational, and cultural communities, it has positioned itself to take advantage of unique opportunities on the West Coast.

We are equally concerned over the proposed closure of the New York consulate. We believe keeping both consulates open is in Estonia’s self-interest, and we specifically urge that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs give its investments in the San Francisco Bay Area and on the West Coast the time to reach maturity.

Advancing economic relations and economic cooperation was a top priority when the consulate opened in 2019, along with providing services to the growing number of Estonians in California. California is indeed home to a diverse and vibrant economy, the largest of any U.S. state and the fifth largest in the world, if it was its own country. Silicon Valley as a global center for digital innovation and capital requires no explanation; at the time of the consulate’s opening in 2019, 30 Estonian companies were reported to be operating in the area. While the startup landscape continues to evolve, the critical importance of this ecosystem to both the Estonian and Californian economies, and the connection between them, is clear. California is also home to a large diplomatic corps in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles, as well as opportunities benefiting Estonia across the region’s educational and cultural landscape, including but not limited to top universities (Stanford, UC Berkeley, and UCLA) and the entertainment industry of Southern California. The consulate has organized visits to the region by delegations of Estonian business leaders, Estonian politicians and government officials, and leaders of Estonian universities, a role that honorary consuls or local societies alone can’t fill.

For local Estonian communities, the primary impact of the closures is the inaccessibility of consular services. The San Francisco consul serves 13 states — Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming — that comprise half of the area of the United States. Estonian citizens travel here, study here, and work here. From April 2022 to April 2023, the consulate provided 1,000 consular services. (In addition to serving Estonian citizens, the office assists e-residents and processes visas for travelers.) San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles are all located three time zones and nearly 4,000 km away from Washington D.C., larger than the distance between Tallinn and any European city. Without a consulate, Estonian citizens, who also make up a large part of all generations of the diaspora community, will lose the opportunity to vote in person in Estonian elections. And while the activities of the diaspora community have long stood independent on the West Coast, we have welcomed and appreciated the involvement of consul staff, which has helped us build new connections, and begun to play a role in creating relationships with newly arrived Estonians. Active community creates and maintains identity, which matters when it comes to speaking up for Estonian interests.

We are aware that a small country must shepherd its resources wisely and set its own priorities. However, we believe this disinvestment from the western United States is a short-term solution that limits Estonia’s global footprint and influence at a time when this could not be of greater importance. While the work of honorary consuls is admirable and necessary, they cannot accomplish all of the roles that Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff fulfill in their full-time work. Wherever these professionals are present, they raise Estonia’s profile. At a time when funding for European and Baltic security is increasingly driven not only by government institutions in Washington, D.C. but by American popular opinion, Estonia’s presence more broadly through the hands-on, in-person work of the consulate general must continue to be felt. We believe that closing consulates at this moment is detrimental to Estonia’s international standing and contrary to its security interests.

On behalf of Estonian communities, organizations, and individuals who have worked in support of a free and thriving Estonia and the continuance of Estonian identity and culture here, we urge the foreign minister to reconsider this decision.

SAN FRANCISCO ESTONIAN SOCIETY

PORTLAND ESTONIAN SOCIETY

SEATTLE ESTONIAN SOCIETY

LOS ANGELES ESTONIAN SOCIETY

KORP!VIRONIA USA

ESTONIAN AMERICAN NATIONAL COUNCIL

SAN FRANCISCO EESTI KOOR

SAN FRANCISCO KEELERING

VENICE INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Õnne-Liis Aardevälja

Erika Adams

Merlin Alabert

Tiina M. Allas

Tony Allen

Kristi Allpere member, Estonian American National Council

Aadu Allpere

Kalvar Antzon

Ants Kristjan Aug

Monika August

Enn Auksmann pastor

Daria Bahtina, PhD

Helve Barnett

Linnea Bartling board member, San Francisco Estonian Society

Mai-Liis Bartling president, San Francisco Estonian Society; vice-president, Estonian American National Council

Gina Bauman

Ivar Berens

Crista Berryessa director, San Francisco Eesti Koor

Anna Birk

Peter K Birk

Julien Boedec

Iris Boshoff

Tiia Carswell

John Cody

Ülle Cohen

Julie Cragholm

Merli Cruz

Anneli Davel

Marit Davey vice-president, San Francisco Estonian Society

Jason DeVita

Liis Edwards

Helena Eglit

Jack Elder

Inger Ellam

Kristi Ellenzweig

Andres End

Kristel Engel

Fredy-Edwin Esse

Dr. Liisi Esse, PhD

Jüri Estam

Linda Flynn

Joel Gage

Irja Galvan emeritus professor

Art Gelb

Reili Gomez

Kristiina Grumley

Alena Guloyan

Kaie Hall

Tiit Helimets

Sindy Hinrikus

Maie Kaarsoo Herrick, M.D.

Olesja Herzhaft

Kaisa Hewling

Devin Hewling

Stiin Hilvers

Jaan Holt professor emeritus, Virginia Tech

Veiko Horak

Ain Indermitte

Ülle Indermitte

Kristjan Indermitte

Villu Ingver

Harry Jaako Eesti Vabariigi aukonsul Vancouveris, 1999–2019

Paul Jacobsen quality engineer

Tiiu Leek Jacobson

Ly James

Helen K Jones

Maria Juur

Tarvo Jürima

Krista Kaasik

Kristopher Kadai

Kaivo Kadai student

Veronika Kais

Helve Kaludzhyan

Liina Kamm senior researcher

Leelo Kask

Monica Kaukver

Karl J Kaul

Karin Kaups

Cristina Kekkonen

Zachary Kelly

Iris Kiigemagi

Ronald Kiima

Mati Kiisk, DDS

Christa Kilk

Karen Kilk

Mackenzie Kilk

Makayla Kilk

Külli Kirwan

Bent Koch fire chief

Erica Koiv

Juri Koll

Svea Koppel

Martin Koppel

Leonid Korikov

Sean Paavo Krepp data ops lead, Google Maps

Kaidi Krepp

Diane Krepp

Kersti Kringlie

Mart Kuldkepp

Andres Kurrik

Martin Kuuskmann musician; associate professor of bassoon and chamber music, University of Denver

Merike Käo

Kadri Külm

Katherina Laan

Maris Laan

Milvi Laan

Malle Lantz

Caroli Leiman president, Seattle Estonian Society

Margarita Leonova student

Kristjan Lewett

Innar Liiv associate professor, TalTech

Leelo Linask executive director, Estonian American National Council

Kristjan Lind

Tiiu Loigu

Piret Loone chief business officer, Link Money

Lennart Luhtaru

Lauri Luik

Kristi Luik

Kristian Lyngbaek

Marit Lyngbaek

Loren Mannard

Sara Maripuu

Reet Marubayashi

Jelena Mashkova

Dr. Anu Masso

Maris Matreyek

Eveli Mayfield

Erik Mayfield

Kara McCann

Kadi McCloskey

Enel Mcfatridge

Sean Mcfatridge

Peter Meiusi

Mati Merilo

Triina Merilo

Renee Meriste president, Estonian Society of Los Angeles

Annika Mikk

Eduard Mirosnitsenko

Erkko Mitt

Kaidi Moore

Diana Morrison

Karin Sillat Muld

Imre Mäger

Dr. Holger Mölder

Dr. Hando Nahkur concert pianist

Andre Nakkurt

Toomas Napa

Krista Napp

Olga Netsunajeva

Kylliki Neuman

Skip Newberry president & CEO, Technology Association of Oregon

Tiiu Newlin

Rob Nou

Martin Orro

Aleksander Orro

Veronika Ossul

Kai Otsmaa

Mati Otsmaa officer, Estonian League of the West Coast; Korp! Vironia

Mikk Otsmaa

Heidi Pahlberg

Kadri Paju

Liina Pakkats

Mari Palta

Mark Paraschuk

Kadrin Parik

Valdek Parik

Adam Paris

Tina Pehme producer

Monika Ploompuu

Allan-Hermann Pool assistant professor, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Marleen Poolgas

Uve Poom Stanford graduate

Liina Põder, director of ultrasound, UCSF

Kersti Pugal

Jaan Puhvel

Sirje Madli Puhvel

Raivo Puusemp

Fred Gregor Rahuoja

Jaan Raik professor

Artur Raik

Kadri Raja-Corrollo

Erik Rannala

Jan Rapp

Rein Raud Tallinna Ülikool (Tallinn University)

Mikk Raud

Carolin Raud

Heleri Reek

Siiri Reek

Aavo Reinfeldt Estonian Archives in the United States

Kristina Reynolds

Annemarie Riitsaar international security analyst, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; board member, San Francisco Estonian Society

Marju Rink-Abel president, Estonian American National Council

Anneli Ristmets

Jan Rjahhovski

Eric Robi

Katrin-Kaja Roomann

Heidi Rowland

Andres Ruetman president, Los Angeles Estonian House

Simon Ihameel Runge

Kairi Saan

Alar Saaremets

Eneken Salm

Raul Salumäe

Kertu-Lilli Salumäe

Aarne Saluveer

Anya Samek

Liis Samon-Januszewski

Killu Sanborn

Helena Seli

Elise Heitur Semonian

Mark Semonian

Nate Semonian

Olga Sepa

Tiina Sepp founder, BioAntares LLC

Kalev Sepp president, Portland Estonian Society

Silva Sheppard

Kent Shuey

Mark Sieberg

Marek Sild

Helme Silvet, MD

Ellen Simm

Kadri Sinivee

Raimond Sinivee principal software engineering manager

Roswitha Kima Smale, PhD

Ralf-Martin Soe professor, Taltech; visiting scholar, Stanford University

Jane Solmann

Veiko Soom

Rutt Sootaru founding member, San Francisco Estonian Society

Mirell Sork

Annika Spain

Tony Spinosa author, Singing Revolution: The Musical

Inga Stephenson director of events, 1440 Multiversity

Helen Subka

Annemarie Sumeri

Viktoria Sung

Edward Tael

Malle Tael

Steven Tael, Ph.D., CFA private investor

Martin Tali

Sten Tamkivi Vabamu; Estonia’s Friends International Meeting; Stanford alumni

Erki Tamm

Marek Tamm Tallinn University

Kait-Margot Tammemägi

Laine Tammer

Oke Tammik

Katrin Tammik-Arrak

Karl Tarbe

Marleen Tarbe

Tatevik Aslanjan

Enel Ari Taylor

Uuve Sauga Taylor Stanford University

Liina Teose director, Portland Estonian Folk Dancers “Tulehoidjad”

Maarika Teose

Kairi Thornton

Minna Tiidus

Oliver Tilk

Ivar Timbach

Sigrid Tipton

Regina Toom

Helen Tootsi

Lisa Trei board member, San Francisco Estonian Society; member, Estonian American National Council

Jaak Treiman

Liis Trääder

Zain Ul Abideen Tallinn University of Technology

Toomas Urb vabakutseline

Mari-Liis Userdnov

Sandra Vahtel

Vaido Vald

Eva Valge

Kate Valk

Camille Valvur

Martin Heino Valvur

Peter Valvur

Harry Varav

Jerry Velazquez

Ingrid Vellis

Marilyn Vihman professor

Tõnu Viitas

Katrin Viller

Margus Välja journalist

Silja Willis

Tami Wilson

Lindsay Worthington

Karen Yokoo

Lisa Young

Valve Zuercher