OREANDA-NEWS. October 10, 2011. Prime Minister Andrus Ansip met with Indian Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Praful Patel and a business delegation accompanying him.

The main subject of discussion at the meeting was developing economic relations between Estonia and India and the opportunities open to India in terms of doing business with Europe via Estonia. Prime Minister Ansip showcased Estonia’s e-government and ID card-based public services for the visitors.

Minister Patel agreed with Prime Minister Ansip that political relations between their countries were very good but that they should make more use in future of their potential for business cooperation. Prime Minister Ansip said that cooperation with India could be fostered in very different areas, such as the solutions developed by Estonian scientists, which could be of great interest to Indian business operators.

During the meeting Prime Minister Ansip remarked that although Estonia is a small country, its liberal economic model provides foreign investors with attractive prospects for business not only on the local market, but throughout the European Union. “Take no notice of the fact that Estonia has such a small population,” he said. “Look at Estonia as a gateway to the wider market of the European Union – with 500,000,000 people.” He explained that the reduced currency risk related to the transition to the single currency, the free movement of capital, people and services within the European Union and Estonia’s tax system made it an attractive base from which to do business across the continent.