The Estonian ambassador to the United States, Kristjan Prikk, spoke to students at the Kennedy Center on Feb. 26.
During his presentation, Prikk shared several challenges facing his country, including being neighbors with Russia, the 21st century and becoming digitized.
“We live in a very dynamic neighborhood, right next to Russia, in a region that has turned out to be the battleground for competition between great and medium powers for centuries,” Prikk said. “All of the former colonial empires that have ruled or invaded us have fallen and integrated by today."
Estonia has a storied history, from being invaded and annexed by the former USSR to its independence in 1991.
“For 50 years, Estonia lived under occupation. Deportations, executions, forced productization, people flee the country to become refugees,” Prikk said. “Throughout occupation, the Estonian flag flew, among others, at the U.S. State Department — just because the United States never recognized the legal Soviet occupation and annexation of Estonia.”
When the Estonians gained independence, they began one of the most ambitious programs to modernize the country. The first step was trying to repair the economy harmed after years of Soviet occupation.
“In 1991, we were economically devastated, environmentally damaged and institutionally left out,” Prikk said. “When we gained our independence back, we started to repair our economy, which has grown more than tenfold compared with the 90s."
Another effort from the Estonian government was digitally driven innovation.
"Today, almost every public affair can be resolved digitally," Prikk said. "We can file for marriage and divorce online, taxes can be filed in minutes, medical prescriptions are digital and even voting can be done online.”
BYU student Wills Cole attended the colloquium.
“I really like it; They have a free spirit, and they believe in freedom and democracy. I love how the ambassador talked about how Estonians capitalized on the resources that are available to them,” Cole said.
Zach Goldsberry, another student who attended the exposition, spoke about how the ambassador acknowledged the role of the United States in Europe.
“I think what he said about working together with Europe is big,” Goldsberry said. “I mean, the United States is involved with the rest of the world ... and the more we work together to solve issues."
Estonia is an example of resilience, from a turbulent past with Russia to being one of the most successful examples of development.