Kaja Tael (born 24 June 1960) is an Estonian philologist, translator, and diplomat. She is a former Estonian ambassador to the United Kingdom and to Germany, the Estonian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...

, and the current Estonian Ambassador at Large for Climate and Energy Policy. In 2023, she became the Estonian ambassador to the

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...

(OSCE).

Early life and career

Kaja Tael was born in

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...

in 1960. She graduated in 1983 from

Tartu State University The University of Tartu (UT; et, Tartu Ülikool; la, Universitas Tartuensis) is a university in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is the only classical university in the country, and also its biggest ...

with a degree in

philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as ...

. In 1989, she received a PhD in

Estonian language Estonian ( ) is a Finnic language, written in the Latin script. It is the official language of Estonia and one of the official languages of the European Union, spoken natively by about 1.1 million people; 922,000 people in Estonia and 16 ...

and

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to inclu ...

. From 1991 until 1995, Tael was the head of the '' Eesti Instituut'', the Estonian cultural institute. From 1995 until 1998, she worked as a foreign policy advisor to

President of Estonia The president of the Republic of Estonia ( et, Eesti Vabariigi President) is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia. The current president is Alar Karis, elected by Parliament on 31 August 2021, replacing Kersti Kaljulaid. Estonia is ...

Lennart Meri Lennart Georg Meri (; 29 March 1929 – 14 March 2006) was an Estonian politician, writer, and film director. He served as the second president of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Meri was among the leaders of the movement to restore Estonian indepen ...

. Between 1998 and 2001, she joined the

Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia ( et, Eesti Vabariigi Välisministeerium) is a Cabinet-level governmental agency in Estonia in charge of conducting and designing Estonian Foreign policy. History The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of ...

, serving as Executive Secretary of the Estonian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission and then as Director General of the Policy Planning Department. From 2001 until 2006, she was the Estonian ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. From 2006 until 2012, she was the Vice-Chancellor of the

Committee on European Union Affairs The Committee on European Union Affairs ( sv, nämnden för Europeiska unionen, also called ''EU-nämnden'') is a governmental body A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization ...

, and then of European and Trans-Atlantic Relations at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2012 until 2016, she was the Estonian ambassador to Germany, succeeding Mart Laanemäe. Since 2016, she is the Estonian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the

. On 1 January 2020, Tael became the Estonian Ambassador at Large for Climate and Energy Policy. In 2023, Tael became the Estonian ambassador to the

(OSCE), presenting her credentials to the Secretary General of the OSCE

Helga Schmid Helga Maria Schmid (born 8 December 1960 in Dachau, West Germany) is a German diplomat who has been serving as the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) since 2020. Prior to that appointment (from ...

in September of that year.

Acknowledgements

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star ( et, Valgetähe teenetemärk; french: Ordre de l'Etoile Blanche) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Balti ...

, III Class (2000) *

Order of the National Coat of Arms The Order of the National Coat of Arms ( et, Riigivapi teenetemärk, french: Ordre du Blason National) was instituted by Konstantin Päts on 7 October 1936 to commemorate 24 February 1918, the day on which Estonian independence was declared. The ...

, III Class (2018)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tael, Kaja 1960 births Living people Estonian philologists Estonian translators Estonian women diplomats Ambassadors of Estonia to the United Kingdom Ambassadors of Estonia to Germany Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 3rd Class Recipients of the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 3rd Class University of Tartu alumni People from Tallinn