Ambassador reaffirms Estonia’s commitment to deepening cooperation

Apia, Samoa 08 May 2025 – The Republic of Estonia’s new Ambassador to Samoa has reaffirmed Estonia’s commitment to deepening cooperation both bilaterally and through multilateral partnerships with Samoa.

Ambassador Jaan Reinhold presented his Letters of Credence to the Head of State, Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II, at a Credentials Ceremony this morning at the Official Residence of the Head of State at Vailele.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia to Samoa is resident in Canberra, Australia.

Estonia, a country in Northern Europe was a former part of the Soviet Union and borders the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland and includes more than 1,500 islands.

Samoa and Estonia established diplomatic ties on 23 January 2009 and have maintained cordial relations.

“Our two countries have work collaboratively through the United Nations (UN) and other regional/multilateral fora to advance common positions on important issues of mutual interest concerning peace and security, sovereignty, human rights and the 2030 agenda on the sustainable development goals,” said Ambassador Reinhold.

He also highlighted “the importance of our collective voice and shared responsibility in setting a positive example on the global stage.”

Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II welcomed Ambassador Reinhold and acknowledged the growing partnership between Samoa and Estonia, expressing appreciation for Estonia’s continued support and engagement.

The Head of State conveyed his confidence in the Ambassador’s appointment which will further strengthen bilateral ties, noting that the relationship is reinforced by a shared commitment to multilateralism, particularly through the United Nations and other international forums.

H.E. Mr. Reinhold holds a Master’s Degree in History and Political Science from Tartu University, Estonia and studied International Relations at Warsaw University, Poland. He joined the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001, serving in various roles, including Third Secretary in the second Political Department and Second Secretary for Economic and EU Affairs at the Embassy in Lithuania. He was Director of the Business Diplomacy Division (2010–2011) and Consul General in Shanghai (2011–2014). He served as Ambassador to Kazakhstan, accredited to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan (2014–2016), Ambassador at Large for the EU Eastern Partnership (2016–2019), and Ambassador to the UAE (2019), with additional accreditation to Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, and as Permanent Representative to IRENA. He is currently Ambassador to Australia. Ambassador Reinhold is married to Krista Reinhold and has two adult children. He speaks Estonian, English, Russian, and German.