Estonia's Ambassador to Kazakhstan resigns following presidential visit
Estonian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Jaap Ora has resigned from his post in connection with President Alar Karis' recent visit to the country, when Estonia's position of support for Ukraine was left unsaid.
At the end of November, President Alar Karis and his wife Sirje Karis made a state visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of the country's president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Karis was accompanied by an economic delegation.
During the visit, the head of state's speeches omitted mentions of Estonia's position on Russia's war against Ukraine. These positions were allegedly discussed by the delegation accompanying the visit.
According to a report by Estonian news outlet Eesti Ekspress on Tuesday that Estonian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Jaap Ora had suggested at the dinner table that President Karis and his foreign policy advisor Margus Kolga soften their tone on Ukraine, so that other members of the delegation sitting at the table would also hear the discussion.
After the conversation, Karis decided to rewrite the speech, softening the tone and making it more ambiguous. Following the visit, the incident was discussed at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Now the ambassador to Kazakhstan has decided to resign from his post.
"Unfortunately, there has been unjustified controversy surrounding the president's visit to Kazakhstan recently. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs draws conclusions from every visit and is aware that in this case, there has been a misunderstanding as to whether all of Estonia's messages were conveyed with sufficient clarity during the president's visit," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday, shortly before the publication of the Eesti Ekspress article.
"In order to ease tensions during these difficult times, Estonia's Ambassador to Kazakhstan Jaap Ora has decided to leave his post at his own request effective next year," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
In accordance with the request submitted and the procedure in force in Estonia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will now submit a proposal to the government to recall the ambassador.
Jaap Ora
Ambassador Jaap Ora presented his credentials to President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on September 11, 2024.
Ora was also accredited as Estonia's Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and as of November 11 this year, Tajikistan.
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