6 July 2005 – Ambassador Victoria S. Bataclan of the Philippine Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, with concurrent jurisdiction over Estonia, reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that she has signed on behalf of the Philippine Government the Philippines-Estonia Agreement on Cultural and Education Cooperation, the first-ever agreement of the Philippines with the Government of Estonia.

The signing ceremony took place on 21 June 2005 at the Estonian Ministry of Culture, with Estonian Minister of Culture Raivo Palmaru signing for the Government of Estonia.

Ambassador Bataclan said that the agreement raises the level of current bilateral relations, especially since a framework for more people-to-people contacts has been established.  She also assured Minister Palmaru that the Philippines would fully implement the agreement and maximize its use.  For his part, Minister Palmaru expressed his government’s interest in strengthening friendship between Estonia and the Philippines through the Agreement.

Ambassador Bataclan remarked that the cultural agreement was immediately given life through a concert by the San Beda Male Singers organized by the Philippine Embassy in cooperation with the Estonian Ministry of Culture.  The concert took place on the afternoon of 21 June 2005 at the courtyard of Stenbock House, the Office of the Prime Minister of Estonia.

Following the success of the concert -- the first cultural cooperation project – preparations are already underway for an art exhibit by esteemed Filipino artist Manuel Baldemor in Tallinn, Estonia, next year.  Ambassador Bataclan added that Mr. Baldemor has also received an invitation to be an artist-in-residence in the summer of 2006 under the auspices of the Estonian Ministry of Culture.  END
 

/jay