Keit Kasemets
Mr Keit Kasemets is the Secretary of State since 1st February 2025.
Before becoming the Secretary of State, he was the Secretary General of the Ministry of Climate from June 2023.
In 2022-2023, Kasemets was a member of the Council of the Tallinn Center of the Stockholm Environmental Institute.
In 2017–2022, Kasemets was the Head of the European Commission Representation in Estonia.
From January 2016 to January 2017, Kasemets was the Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, from 2012 to 2015 he worked as the Deputy Head of the SIGMA program in the Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate of the OECD.
In the years 2001-2012, Kasemets worked in the Government Office of Estonia: starting as the deputy head of the European Integration Office, then as the Director for EU Affairs and after that as the Strategy Director.
He graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Tartu with a master’s degree in political science.
Keit Kasemets was born on March 24, 1976, in Tallinn.
Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is appointed and released from office by the Prime Minister.
Main tasks:
- The Secretary of State is in charge of organising the work of the Government of the Republic and heads the Government Office. As the head of the Government Office, the Secretary of State has the same rights as those granted to ministers as heads of their respective ministries.
- The Secretary of State prepares the agenda for each government sitting and takes part in sittings with the right to speak.
- The Secretary of State ensures that the draft legal acts of the Government of the Republic are in conformity with the Constitution and other legislation, and co-signs all government regulations and orders as well as the minutes of government sittings.
- The Secretary of State heads the work of the Selection Board of Top Executives in the civil service and gives its opinion on appointment and release from office of secretary generals of ministries.
- The Secretary of State is the keeper of the state seal and keeps records on use of the seal.