ERR News took a brief look at the year ahead.
Tallinn Takes Over as the EU’s Green Capital
Estonia’s capital takes over as the EU Green Capital on January 1.
Launched in 2011 by the European Commission, the title rewards cities which have made the most progress “in improving the environment, and their high level of commitment to genuine progress”.
After Ljubljana in Slovenia, Tallinn is the only other capital from a country that joined the EU in 2004 to be awarded the title.
Events will take place throughout the year and more information can be viewed: https://greentallinn.eu/en/
National election
Estonia’s next national (parliamentary) election will take place on March 5.
XIII Youth Song and Dance Celebration
June 30 – July 2, at Tallinn’s Song Festival Grounds
The youth festival takes place every four years and involves tens of thousands of singers and dancers.
This year’s event has been named “Holy is the Land”, and the dance celebration “Bridges,” and will take place for the 13th time.
The tradition has been included in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list and emphasizes Estonians’ love for their country, language, culture, and customs.
More information is found: https://2023.laulupidu.ee/en/.
Estonia to Head Baltic Assembly
Estonia takes over as the rotating head of the Baltic Assembly (BA) cooperation format in 2023.
Deputy Head of the Estonian Delegation Sven Sester said last year that Estonia has a strong will to continue building up a resilient, secure, reliable, and sustainable Baltic region.
“By joining forces, we will also have greater capability and opportunities to deal with the challenges posed by Russia’s invasion, such as the economic and humanitarian crisis, energy security, disinformation and common concerns about the security of the Baltic States,” he said.
Sester said it is also important to deal with the challenges in education and culture, with cultural relations and media cooperation, vocational and technical education, as well as strengthening coordination between cultural and educational institutions.
Last Year Of Prep for Tartu 2024
Tartu will become one of the EU’s cultural capitals in 2024, so this year will be its last year of preparation.
While the first part of the “Arts of Survival” program has already been announced, more will follow this year.
Wider region: Vilnius NATO summit on July 11-12
The annual NATO summit will be held for the first time in Lithuania this year.
It will bring together high-level delegations from NATO allies and partners, as well as international media representatives.
The summit will focus on strengthening the Alliance’s collective defense and deterrence and on increasing support for Ukraine.
VES/ERR
