Tallinn is a green and vibrant cosmopolitan city, where people live with an eye to the future and value their heritage. Tallinn is a city where green and digital innovation intertwine, where world-famous success stories are born: mindsets, works and companies. Tallinn wants to be one of the leaders of the green transition in Estonia, as its economy and lifestyles influence the well-being of the entire population.
The vision of Tallinn as an open and innovative city includes a broader dimension of internationalisation, which is a prerequisite for achieving many of the objectives of the development strategy. Climate security, sustainability, social cohesion and the implementation of smart solutions are critical global issues that affect almost all areas of the city’s activities and require internationalisation to achieve.
To achieve this, Tallinn needs to work together and actively seek solutions and models that other cities offer and that could be implemented or further developed in Tallinn. Developing the competences and capacities of the staff of Tallinn’s city organisation is also a key factor in realising the vision of a green global city.
This is why Tallinn focuses its international relations and cooperation on the themes and activities that bring the greatest added value and benefits to the city in achieving its strategic goals and objectives. Tallinn actively contributes to strengthening city diplomacy and increasing its participation in international networks by sharing its unique experiences and expertise and solutions and learning from other cities and organisations to promote sustainable development and innovation.
Tallinn, as the capital of the Republic of Estonia, is guided in its international cooperation by the main directions of the country’s foreign policy but develops the international relations necessary to meet the city’s development goals independently. Tallinn’s international relations are based on cooperation and partnership with other cities, international organisations and institutions, as well as with Estonian public authorities, businesses, research institutions and relevant civil society.
Cooperation with international partners is value-driven, based on the need to exchange experiences, promote intercultural skills, expand the network of contacts, shape policies of relevance to the city at international level, and work with other cities in international organisations for common interests.
The city develops cooperation with other capital cities, participates in the work of international representative organisations and thematic networks of cities, and takes part in forums, programmes and projects that help to generate development benefits for the city, implement new models of solutions and mobilise international funding, know-how and human resources for its development.