JOIN US'The spicier the food is, the better it is for me"
Viljar Lubi, Ambassador of Estonia to India, is the first person to represent Estonia in another nation. Estonia is a tiny country tucked in the Baltic region of Northern Europe and Viljar has had no predecessors to show him the way of diplomacy and what it takes to build and maintain good relations between nations. But he is honest when he says that he is learning and every step teaches him something new, leaving him amazed as well.
He visited Bangalore for a few hours recently and points out that one of the first things that struck him about the City is its weather. He didn’t seem to have any complaints about the traffic. “The best thing about so much traffic is that whenever you are late, you can always blame it on the traffic — even if it is your fault,” he laughs.
Viljar was appreciative of India, saying, “A lot of people are talking about China being a superpower and how they have channelised their resources to get themselves noticed on the world map. But I am sure that by 2030, people will be talking about India as a superpower.”
He states that his background in economics has helped him understand and analyse the situations and relations between countries and people. “I always tell young people to study hard, because I believe that good education is the only way forward. You have to train your senses to adapt to any situation you are put in. I do that all the time and I believe that I am still learning,” he adds.
Viljar loves spicy food. “My choice of Indian food is spicy; I can’t imagine eating bland Indian food. The spicier the food is, the better it is for me,” he beams.
Commenting on the issue of safety in India, especially that of the women, Viljar observes, “At least people in India are open and talk about the issue at hand. They don’t try to hide it. People here acknowledge that there is a problem and try to find ways to deal with it.”