His Excellency Mr. Jaan Reinhold presented his Letters of Credence to the Head of State of the
Independent State of Samoa, Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II, at a Credentials Ceremony
held this morning at the Official Residence of the Head of State at Vailele, accrediting His Excellency as
the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia to Samoa with residence in
Canberra, Australia.
Samoa and Estonia have maintained cordial relations since the establishment of formal diplomatic
ties on 23 January 2009. Our two countries have work collaboratively through the United Nations (UN)
and other regional/multilateral fora to advance common positions on important issues of mutual interest
concerning peace and security, sovereignty, human rights and the 2030 agenda on the sustainable
development goals. Ambassador Reinhold reaffirmed Estonia’s commitment to deepening cooperation
both bilaterally and through multilateral partnerships, highlighting the importance of our collective voice
and shared responsibility in setting a positive example on the global stage.
Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II welcomed Ambassador Reinhold and acknowledged
the growing partnership between Samoa and Estonia, expressing appreciation for Estonia’s continued
support and engagement. The Head of State conveyed his confidence in the Ambassador’s appointment
which will further strengthen bilateral ties, noting that the relationship is reinforced by a shared
commitment to multilateralism, particularly through the United Nations and other international fora.
H.E. Mr. Reinhold holds a Master’s Degree in History and Political Science from Tartu University,
Estonia and studied International Relations at Warsaw University, Poland. He joined the Estonian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs in 2001, serving in various roles, including Third Secretary in the second Political
Department and Second Secretary for Economic and EU Affairs at the Embassy in Lithuania. He was
Director of the Business Diplomacy Division (2010–2011) and Consul General in Shanghai (2011–2014).
He served as Ambassador to Kazakhstan, accredited to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan (2014–
2016), Ambassador at Large for the EU Eastern Partnership (2016–2019), and Ambassador to the UAE
(2019), with additional accreditation to Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, and as Permanent
Representative to IRENA. He is currently Ambassador to Australia. Ambassador Reinhold is married to
Krista Reinhold and has two adult children. He speaks Estonian, English, Russian, and German.