In his opening remarks, Undersecretary Rasmus Lumi stressed that honorary consuls are indispensable bridge-builders in Estonia’s foreign relations. “Honorary consuls play an important role in promoting business, cultural and educational ties, as well as in safeguarding the interests of Estonian citizens in their region. Honorary consuls often have an advantage over diplomats: they possess in-depth knowledge of the region and well-established networks built up over many years, opening doors for entrepreneurs and representatives of other sectors alike. Let us make use of these opportunities to boost friendly relations and build even more bridges between Estonia and Türkiye,” Lumi said.
Izmir is one of Türkiye’s main export and logistics centres and its third-largest city, offering considerable potential for Estonia. “Izmir’s dynamic economic environment offers excellent opportunities for Estonian companies to enter the Turkish market and find reliable partners. The appointment of a new honorary consul gives us local support to help turn these opportunities into reality,” Undersecretary Lumi added.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Estonia’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Väino Reinart. Other guests included Ambassador Yeşim Kebapcıoğlu, head of the Izmir representation of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, honorary consuls of other countries, Estonian entrepreneurs operating in Türkiye, and Estonia’s honorary consuls from across the country. Estonia now has an extensive network of honorary consuls in Türkiye, covering not only Izmir but also Istanbul, Bursa, Antalya and Mersin.