Denmark–Estonia relations

Danish-Estonian relations

Denmark	Estonia

Denmark–Estonia relations are foreign relations between Denmark and Estonia. Denmark has an embassy in Tallinn, Estonia has an embassy in Hellerup. Both countries are members of EU, NATO and the Council of the Baltic Sea States.

Denmark has been the largest provider of bilateral assistance to Estonia. From 1992-2003, Denmark supported Estonia with a total of 147 million EUR.

History

Danish Estonia

Main article: Danish Estonia

Danish Estonia refers to the territories of present-day Estonia that were ruled by Denmark firstly during the 13th–14th centuries and again in the 16th–17th centuries.Denmark rose as a great military and mercantile power in the 12th century. It had an interest to end the occasional Estonian and Couronian pirate attacks that threatened its Baltic trade. Danish fleets attacked Estonia in 1170, 1194, and 1197. In 1206, King Valdemar II and archbishop Andreas Sunonis led a raid on Ösel island, Saaremaa. The Kings of Denmark laid a claim on Estonia as their possession, which was recognised by the pope. In 1219 the Danish fleet landed in the major harbor of Estonia and defeated the Estonians in the Battle of Lyndanisse that brought Northern Estonia under Danish reign until the Estonian uprising in 1343, when the territories were taken over by the Teutonic Order and sold by Denmark in 1346.

Modern Estonia

Denmark recognised Estonia's independence in 1921. On 18 December 1926, both counties established a conciliation commission. On 13 May 1930, an agreement on reciprocity was signed. After Estonia's independence in 1991, Denmark was the second country to reestablish diplomatic relations with Estonia on 24 August 1991. In 1994, a defence cooperation agreement was signed. In 1993, Denmark signed an agreement on abolition of visa requirements with Estonia. Denmark was the first country to ratify the Treaty of Accession 2003.

Tourism

12,036 Danish tourists visited Estonia in 2009.

Visits

From 2002 to 2009, Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited Estonia five times. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark visited Estonia in July 2001, and Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller visited Estonia in August 2009. Danish Minister for Trade and Investment Pia Olsen Dyhr visited Estonia on 14-15, May 2013 to promote commercial cooperation between Denmark and the Baltic country, in May 2013, and Denmark's Minister for European Affairs Nicolai Wammen visited Estonia on 30-31 May 2013 in the frames of a tour in the Baltic States. Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves visited Denmark in September 2007, and president Arnold Rüütel visited Denmark in 2004.