Ambassador Insider Series - Estonia

online to filing taxes to voting. It even opened the world’s first “data embassy” in Luxembourg to secure its citizens’ information.
This innovation was borne of necessity. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country needed to reinvent itself. And it did just that — joining the EU and NATO while creating a modern market-based economy with one of the higher per-capita income levels in Central Europe and the Baltic region.
But “e-Estonia” also illustrates the inevitable pitfalls of progress. The country is on constant alert for cyber hacks, particularly those from its larger meddlesome neighbor Russia. But it also faces threats not only in the digital realm, but also in the real world as well.
In fact, Estonia, which is home to a sizable Russian minority, sits on the frontlines of the tug of war between the West and Moscow — and could very well become a potential flashpoint in a conflict that would test NATO (and America’s) resolve to fighting Russian aggression.
And while a center-right party won a recent general election, a far-right, anti-immigrant party also made major gains, showing that EU-friendly Estonia is not immune to the EU-skeptic populist tide sweeping the continent.
Estonian Ambassador Jonatan Vseviov will delve into this complex and fascinating landscape at The Washington Diplomat’s next Ambassador Insider Series on May 2 at 6 p.m.
Well-versed in security matters and U.S. relations, this marks the ambassador’s third posting to Washington, D.C. Before assuming his current duties, Vseviov worked at the Estonian Ministry of Defense for 10 years, rising to the post of permanent secretary. Prior to that, he held several other top positions in the ministry, where he played a leading role in shaping Estonia’s defense policy both domestically and internationally, including improving NATO’s deterrence and defense capabilities. 
The interview will be conducted by managing editor Anna Gawel, who has had more than 100 articles published on world affairs, U.S. politics, foreign policy, national security, travel, arts and culture. She has interviewed several dozen ambassadors and been tapped to speak as an expert on diplomacy and security at conferences and on news/radio broadcasts.