Baltic-Nordic Cooperation 35

The story of Nordic-Baltic cooperation is like that of a tree which survives a storm only to grow even stronger. When Estonia returned to the European family of nations after restoring its statehood in 1991, the Nordic countries contributed to democracy taking root and flourishing in the country by offering their knowledge, experience and values. In the decades since, this has evolved into a mutual partnership: not just one of providing assistance, but a common space in which all are free to act. The tree on this stamp symbolises that connection, with common roots carrying experience of the past, the trunk consolidating trust and the branches stretching out into the future. On those branches, flags fly like leaves – each with its own face, but all part of the same canopy. When the wind picks up, the canopy holds because the branches support one another. In this way, working together becomes the collective strength and voice of the Nordic-Baltic region. The issuing of the stamp as a whole bear the same idea: the stamp itself was designed in the Nordics, while the first-day cover being made in Estonia lends it a local touch. The little whole this creates reflects great collaboration not just in words, but also in execution.