The Czech Ambassador to Estonia, Zdeněk Beránek, together with Deputy Head of Mission Daniel Horák, visited Estonia’s second-largest city, Tartu, on 25 March 2026, where they were warmly welcomed at City Hall by Mayor Urmas Klaas, who took office four months ago. The meeting took place in a spirit of appreciation for the existing cooperation between Czech and Estonian academic institutions, as well as a shared interest in deepening it further in the future.
Mayor Klaas presented the city’s long-term infrastructure plans, which could potentially offer opportunities for Czech companies to get involved. Among the key projects is the construction of a new cultural hub, which will house, among other things, a library, a cinema, restaurants and a media center. He also highlighted the Tartu Science Park, which provides a base for more than twenty business incubators. With pride, he also underlined the importance of business festival sTARTUp Day. The next edition of sTARTUp Day will take place on 27–29 January 2027.
Mayor Klaas further noted that he is looking forward to the launch of a faster rail connection between Tartu and Tallinn, made possible also by brand new Škoda train sets, with service expected to begin around the turn of the year. He also recalled the city’s partnership with Prague 6, his personal connection to the Czech capital, and his fondness for Czech beer.
There were also meetings with experts from the City Hall’s Economic Development, with whom the possibilities of developing cooperation in the business area, as well as in the field of science and research were discussed. The areas of defense industry and cybersecurity were discussed as a priority, with the identification of opportunities and broader mutual cooperation to be discussed on a more regular basis in the future.
The visit concluded with a tour of the international literary exhibition at Tartu Public Library, which also featured a Czech section, including the world-famous Little Mole „Krtek“ by Zdeněk Miler.