Baltic States – CIS, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Ukraine

Maasikas, deputy secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for European affairs, will assume the office in fall, replacing incumbent Ambassador Hugues Mingarelli, who started work in Kiev in 2016, ERR said, citing the Ukrainian online portal Yevropeiska Pravda (European Pravda).

From 2001 to 2005, Maasikas served as Estonia's ambassador to Finland and in 2005-2008 as secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Maasikas worked in the office of Olli Rehn, then European Commissioner for Enlargement, in 2009-2010 and from August 2010 served on the team of advisers of Jose Manuel Barroso, then president of the European Commission.

From 2011 to 2016, Maasikas served as Estonia's permanent representative to the European Union. Since Estonia's presidency of the Council of the European Union, which lasted from July 2017 to December of the same year, Maasikas has held the position of deputy minister for EU affairs.