The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 11 informed Georgia's chargé d'affaires that Estonia's Ambassador to Georgia, Marge Mardisalu-Kahar, will conclude her mission in Tbilisi on March 10, the ministry's press service said. Until a new ambassador is appointed, Estonia's Embassy in Georgia will be headed by Chargé d'Affaires Gita Kalmet, the ministry added.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to specify when a new ambassador to Georgia might be appointed.
Mardisalu-Kahar will continue her work as ambassador to Armenia where Estonia will open its embassy in March. Marge Mardisalu-Kahar will become Estonia's first resident ambassador in Yerevan, the ministry said. The government decided last November to open the embassy in Armenia.
Estonia and Georgia opened embassies in each other's capitals in 2006 and 2007, respectively, though Georgia currently does not have an ambassador in Estonia. Estonia's relations with Georgia have cooled following the change of power in Georgia, which resulted in pro-European political forces being pushed out of office and the government forcefully suppressing all protests. At the same time, Estonia's relations with Armenia have begun to develop rapidly in light of changes there, reflected in closer ties with the European Union and the launch of a reconciliation process with Azerbaijan.
"Estonia's relations with Armenia are stable and good and have been on an upward trajectory since 2023. Bilateral visits and meetings have taken place at the level of presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states on its website.
Regarding relations with Georgia, the ministry notes on its website that Estonia has long contributed to Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration. However, in light of the Georgian authorities' systematic drift away from democracy, including shortcomings in meeting the conditions set for European Union candidate status, supporting Georgian state institutions is no longer an Estonian foreign policy priority. Estonia continues to support the development of civil society and free media, it added.
Estonia also reaffirmed its consistent support for Georgia's territorial integrity, noting that one Estonian expert is serving with the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia.
