Maryland encourages partnership with Estonia

By MDNG Public Affairs Office

Governor Martin O'Malley and Mr. Nicolai Vojeikin, deputy governor of the municipality of Harju County in the Republic of Estonia, recently signed a memorandum of understanding designed to encourage and strengthen cultural and social relationships between the State of Maryland and Harju County.
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Annapolis, Md., (May 18, 2009) – Governor Martin O'Malley and Mr. Nicolai Vojeikin, deputy governor of the municipality of Harju County in the Republic of Estonia, recently signed a proclamation designed to encourage and strengthen cultural and social relationships between the State of Maryland and Harju County.

“This agreement is further affirmation of our long-standing partnership between the State of Maryland and the Republic of Estonia, and in particular, Harju County,” said Governor Martin O'Malley. “This proclamation provides us a tremendous opportunity to combine our respective rich knowledge and resources to further research in academia as well as our industrial and public sectors.”

The signing of the sister state proclamation is an extension of a long-standing relationship that began in 1993 between the State of Maryland and Harju County. Since that time, the Maryland National Guard has partnered with the Republic of Estonia through the State Partnership Program, which was originally designed as outreach by the U.S. to new democracies in Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union.

The Maryland National Guard's relationship with the Estonian military has encompassed a wide range of military-to-military, military-to-civilian and civilian–to-civilian efforts with an emphasis on civil and military cooperation - all within the context of civilian control of a professional military. The Maryland Military Department also has shared best practices related to state emergency management processes, procedures and techniques through the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.

In 2003, Maryland was also selected to partner with Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the State Partnership Program, in large part due to the State of Maryland's relationship with the Republic of Estonia.

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