I was recently asked to write an article about the role of the Honorary Consul, a position which I have had the privilege of occupying for just over 6 years now.
I thought I’d begin with my official duties and then go from there. My role as Honorary Consul of the Republic of Estonia is such that I am the official representative of the Estonian government in Washington State. To many of you, that means that when you apply for an Estonian passport and it is issued, it comes to me and I then contact you for the official issuance and signature. While issuing passports has been a brisk business since the Consul General’s visit in October (we took almost 50 applications), there is much more to my responsibilities.
As the representative of the government of Estonia, it is also my job to answer all manner of inquiries from Estonian citizens living in Washington State as well as other citizens and anyone with an interest in Estonia. Most common, on average, are the one or two calls a week I receive from people asking how to apply for a passport or visa. Other times, this can mean traveling to the immigration prison in Tacoma to help translate for an Estonian citizen that has been arrested for overstaying a visa. Sometimes, it is much more enjoyable such as being invited to a film festival or other country’s national holiday celebration.
Years ago, prior to Estonia joining the European Union and certain rule changes, passport applications could easily be completed via mail. I would often have people come to my office and ask for assistance in completing the forms if they were not able to read the Estonian language. That all changed in the summer of 2009, and now the applications must be accompanied with electronically scanned fingerprints. The fingerprints can only be taken at the Consulate General’s offices in New York City, or in Tallinn. This past October, we were able to help a great many applicants avoid the expense of flying to New York City by having the Consul General visit Seattle and bring the fingerprint scanner with him.
Other common duties which I have performed a number of times are items such as translations and notarizing documents. I was issued an official stamp by the Estonian Foreign Ministry which is recognized by Estonian banks, government agencies and other parties in Estonia. As such, I am often asked to notarize bank documents or other official correspondence for Estonian citizens. Translation services are also a common item, usually involving translating marriage, death or birth certificates from Estonian to English, which I accompany with a letter stating it is an official translation with stamp. These are relatively easy for me to do by myself, though once I was asked to translate a 12 page business contract. I asked Katre to do that as she is a native Estonian speaker and has a law degree from Tartu University.
Another official duty of the Consul is to host visiting dignitaries when they come to Seattle. The official duty papers actually stipulate that when certain high ranking ministers come to visit, it is a duty to welcome them with a reception or other such event. We have taken this rule and interpreted it loosely as Katre and I enjoy hosting cocktail and appetizer receptions at our home when Estonian dignitaries visits. We tend not to reserve receptions for only high-ranking dignitaries, but for notable visitors whenever the circumstances are appropriate. We know that having a visiting Estonian have the chance to meet local Seattle-area Estonians is most enjoyable for all participants.
Finally, being a Consul is also very rewarding in that Seattle has a very active Consular community. There are over 40 Consuls and Consul Generals in Seattle from various countries, including representing our Baltic neighbors, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania. Through involvement with the Consular Asso-ciation of Washington, of which I also serve as Trea-surer, I am able to represent Estonia to the other nations and local government and business entities active in this organization. The Consular Association has also been a big help for me in making contacts with local government and business leaders when we have had visiting Estonian business delegations come through Seattle. Helping to organize those visits can be a tremendous amount of work.
I feel very fortunate that the Estonian government and the local Estonian community have entrusted me with this position. I am also fortunate to have the support of my employer and my wife Katre in performing the duties, which sometimes can involve several hours or more per week. As all of this is in addition to my day job and demands on my schedule, my work office serves as the Consulate for numerous meetings and visits related to these duties. Katre’s help and her agreement in expending time and finances in performance of the duties is also a tremendous commitment. The position is purely voluntary, with an appointment period of 5 years. Last year, we agreed to renew for another 5 years. We are happy to do so and it is my hope that in the future, if we do a good job raising Kevin in the Estonian culture and with a love of his ancestral homeland as was instilled in me as a child, then someday he too may follow in these footsteps. In the meantime, please let me know how I can be of assistance.
Paul Raidna
Seattle Eestlaste Teated
