Estonian Ambassador to Iceland presented his credentials

Estonian Ambassador to Iceland Lauri Bambus presented his credentials to the President of Iceland Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson in Reykjavik yesterday. The ambassador resides in Oslo, Norway.

The diplomatic and political relations of Estonia and Iceland date back to the 1920s and 1930s. Estonia's first honorary consul in Iceland was active until 1958. Iceland played a seminal role in the restoration of Estonia's statehood in 1991; it was the first country in the world to fully recognise the restored sovereignty of the Republic of Estonia on 22 August.

The conversation following the presentation of credentials covered the bilateral relations of Estonia and Iceland and regional economic and security issues that have been important for both countries in the past 30 years. In addition to robust bilateral cooperation, Estonia and Iceland are partners in the Nordic-Baltic 8 format and likeminded allies in international organisations. Iceland contributes to NATO's enhanced Forward Presence in Estonia and is a member of the Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions from 1 June 2021. Both countries are interested in extensive cooperation in the development and uptake of new digital solutions, which has been demonstrated by the virtual business meetings with numerous companies in November 2020 and May 2021.

'I thanked President Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson for Iceland's support in topics Estonia has raised in the UN Security Council and for Estonia's ambition for a closer cooperation with the members of the Arctic Council,' Ambassador Lauri Bambus said. He reaffirmed that Estonia prioritised issues related to the environment and climate change, as well as international security issues. President Jóhannesson warmly recalled his visit to Estonia in 2018 and said he hoped to meet President Kaljulaid again as early as in August, when Reykjavik hosts formal celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the independence of the three Baltic States.

Ambassador Lauri Bambus was born on 31 May 1969 in Valga. He has graduated from the University of Tartu twice - in 1993, he graduated with honours from the Faculty of Philosophy and in 2004, he graduated from the Faculty of Law. Bambus has also studied international law at the University of Turku and at the Vienna School of International Studies.

Until his appointment as the Estonian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway in August 2020, Lauri Bambus worked as the Director General of the State Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bambus joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995. He has worked in Estonian embassies in Warsaw and Brussels and in the Consular Department of the ministry as Director of the Schengen Division. Between 2005 and 2007, Lauri Bambus was Consul General at Estonia's Consulate General in Saint Petersburg, and then the Director General of the Consular Department until 2010. From 2010 to 2014, Bambus was the Undersecretary for Legal and Consular Affairs and between 2012 and 2021 he was the non-resident ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman. From 2014 to 2017, Lauri Bambus was the Estonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Additional information:
Communication Department
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
[email protected]