Estonia’s Embassy in Tbilisi will be headed by a Chargé d’Affaires, and it is currently unknown when the Estonian government will appoint a new ambassador to Georgia.
According to Estonia’s public broadcaster, the reason is the cooling of relations with Georgia, while ties with Armenia are, on the contrary, intensifying. Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna personally, have frequently criticized the Georgian Dream government over democratic backsliding and have supported imposing EU-level sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili and senior government officials. Estonia itself has repeatedly imposed sanctions on Georgian high-ranking officials.
Estonia’s current ambassador to Georgia will remain in office until March 10. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Marge Mardisalu-Kahar will become Estonia’s first ambassador to Armenia, with the embassy residence to be opened in Yerevan. Estonia decided to open an embassy in Armenia last November. Estonia’s Embassy in Georgia has been operating since 2006.
