Kadri Maasik named director of the Foreign Ministry’s development cooperation centre

The Council of the International Development Cooperation Centre of Estonia selected Kadri Maasik, Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as its director, and she will take up her duties on 1 July.

With the endorsement of the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established the Foundation for the International Development Cooperation Centre of Estonia on 23 April. The centre will implement development cooperation and humanitarian aid projects and become a centre of competence for Estonia's development cooperation. The Estonian Centre of Eastern Partnership will be merged with the new centre, as it holds long-standing experience in development cooperation projects in the European Union's Eastern Neighbourhood.

'We saw development cooperation held much more potential for complementing Estonia's foreign policy than had been used so far. This is why the government decided to separate policy-making and project implementation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and form a separate agency to enact the latter,' Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jonatan Vseviov said. 'Our aim is to successfully launch the Development Cooperation Centre and align it with the rules established in the European Union to bring in a greater volume of Union instruments for development cooperation,' Vseviov added.

When the centre was founded on 23 April, Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets also appointed members of its council. The council comprises Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry Jonatan Vseviov, Managing Director of NGO Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation Agne Kuimet, Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance Merike Saks, Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Andres Rundu and Director of the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Division Kadi Metsandi.

Last week, the council selected the director of the new centre, appointing current Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs Kadri Maasik.

'I am very glad to take on this new and interesting challenge. I believe my diverse senior management experience in various ministries and foundations helps me make the launch of the new development cooperation centre a success,' Maasik said. 'I also consider it important for the centre to be officially accredited by the European Commission, which would allow us to participate in the development cooperation projects of the European Union as equal partners,' she added.

Maasik takes up her duties as the Director of the Development Cooperation Centre on 1 July.

Additional information:
Communication Department
[email protected]