Thus the MFA is the oldest and most experienced branch of the Estonian government. Eighty continuous years of service also created a wholly different level of professionalism in the Estonian diplomatic corps. Experience was combined with the same dedication on the part of its young staff as among their older, exile-era colleagues. I would dare to say that the Foreign Ministry's concerted efforts in 1997-98 were directed to meet the country's greatest foreign policy challenge. And thus the MFA's success can be considered the most significant foreign policy achievement since the recognition of Estonian independence by Western countries in 1918-1923.
Time moves quickly, however.
In December 1996 most Estonians thought it impossible that their country would be invited to the first round of EU negotiations. With the beginning of accession negotiations, the focus of Estonian foreign policy perforce changes as well. EU accession ceased on 31 March 1998 to be a foreign policy issue. From that day on, accession is an issue for all branches of government as well as for the private sector and the public at large. EU accession talks, though clearly an Estonian foreign policy priority, became the subject of domestic policy decisions and developments in the respective responsible ministries.