The head of state said that it was in Estonia and Latvia’s joint interest for Rail Baltic to link their countries as soon as possible. “Moreover, better electricity connections between us would also create opportunities for green power production, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and strengthening the local economy in the process,” he added. “In turn, green energy will make the region more competitive and broaden its scope in that regard, since end-consumers on export markets are increasingly favouring environmentally friendly solutions.”
President Karis says that both an internal and an external view are required for the development of enterprise. “In developing economic relations we also have to look to the North, and further than just the Baltic region,” he advised.
The Estonian head of state says the answer to the question of how small countries can make themselves bigger is via the digital transition. “The digital world expands our borders, which is why we should be implementing digital technology in every field,” he said. “In Estonia’s case it is e-governance and the e-residence programme we originated that have made us bigger.”
President Karis says that because of their modest size, all three Baltic States find it difficult to grow their business activities through the production of goods. “It is much easier to sell services that make use of digital technology,” he said. “Our success in the digital sector has given us a much bigger name on the world stage than we might otherwise have had.”
The head of state added that the digital transition is not limited to the IT sector, but offers solutions in a wide range of fields. “The impact it is having in the transport sector and more and more of late in the defence industry is substantial,” he noted.
During the seminar, President Karis and his Latvian counterpart, President Egils Levits, presented the Livonia Prize, which each year recognises one Estonian and one Latvian company and promotes the export of products and services between the two markets. The recipients for 2023 were the Estonian postal services provider Eesti Post (operating under the Omniva trademark) and the Latvian translation, localisation and language technology company Tilde. The prize has been awarded since 2017. Last year’s winners were Lux Express Estonia and Latvia’s airBaltic.
Gallery: Raigo Pajula, Office of the President of the Republic
