state visits to both countries. In late 1930s, as the Stalinist Soviet Union took a more aggressive interest in the Baltic countries, Estonia attempted to move closer to Germany in its foreign policy. This change was marked by the 1936 appointment of Friedrich Akel (former foreign minister) as the Estonian ambassador to Germany On 3 December 1938, the Estonian government officially declared the country's neutrality in the event of any military conflicts in Europe. Criticism Several aspects of Päts's career are still under critical public debate and various theories have been created, although many of them have also seen broad criticism. For example Päts economic activities and business contacts with Soviet Russia have drawn significant criticism. In 1920–1922 Estonia had more extensive relations with Soviet Russia than with other European countries. The Russian embassy in Tallinn was at the center of Russian gold sales to the West, which constituted about 4% of global gold sales in that period. Estonia and the Bank of Estonia received about 2/3 of the at least 30 million gold rubles transaction fees. The transactions were kept secret and mostly only the Director of the Bank of Estonia in 1920–1921 and Minister of Finance in 1921–1922, Georg Westel, and the State Elder in 1921–1922, Konstantin Päts, knew of these transactions. Even more, it was the Harju Bank that belonged among others to Päts and Westel that transacted many of the gold sales. Päts, Westel and other big businessmen, mostly members of Päts's Farmers' Unions party, have thus been accused of using this transaction money for their own good. It has also been claimed that the Bank of Estonia gave out several loans to enterprises that were related to Päts's activities and almost all other loans were given to enterprises related to the members of the bank's own council and other top-level politicians. Having big loans was also the reason why Päts, Westel and other top-level politicians did not fight the hyperinflation at the time. The gold exchange and big loans also boosted money circulation in Estonia, which created an illusion for the wider public that the economy of Estonia and the Estonian mark were in a good situation. It was only in December 1923 when former Prime Minister Otto Strandman of the Estonian Labour Party criticized the Minister of Finance Georg Vestel in the parliament for incorrect spending of state treasury. Westel was divested of office