Estonia Consul General Visits Maine

Reimo Pettai says economic opportunities are many

PORTLAND, Maine Ñ During a visit to Maine on Thursday, the Consul General of the Republic of Estonia said a number of economic opportunities exist between his country and Maine and throughout northern New England.

Consul General Reimo Pettai spent the day meeting with area business and community leaders and touring Portland and coastal Maine. The Portland law firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, which has been active in fostering trade between Maine and Estonia, hosted a morning event.

Pettai noted that Maine's economy and infrastructure are similar to Estonia. "Add to that the similarities in geography and culture, and it is easy to conclude that we can partner economically and create as yet undiscovered trade opportunities between the two regions" he said.

Pettai said he will likely return to Maine at some point with delegations of business leaders and government officials from Estonia to continue the work that was started this week.

"It's a vibrant and growing country with an enormous amount of economic promise and opportunity," said Scott Schul, the attorney from BSSN who last March was invited by the Estonian government on a trade mission to the country. During his nine-day trip, Schul met with numerous officials and began a dialogue with the small Northern European country. The Consul General's visit Thursday is the result of Schul's grassroots effort to open economic doors in Estonia to the business community in Maine and throughout New England.

Estonia, located on the Baltic Sea along the northern coast of Europe, has experienced rapid economic growth since regaining its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. With a stable economy, democratically elected government, flat tax rate and balanced budget, Estonia is attractive to foreign investors in search of business opportunities. With a deep water port and an efficient transportation system, the country also provides a safe and effective distribution gateway into Russia, Schul said. For more information about Estonia, log on to www.estemb.org, the Estonian embassy's official web site in Washington D.C.

Schul is a member of Bernstein, Shur's growing International Law and Trade Practice Group. Attorneys in the group advise Maine companies on doing business overseas, and also are active in assisting foreign nationals in the purchase and development of businesses in the U.S. The firm also has translated its award-winning web site, www.mainelaw.com, into six languages.

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