Tallinn  - Estonia's minority coalition government agreed Thursday to endorse Siim Kallas as the small Baltic republic's representative with the European Commission in Brussels.

The two ruling parties managed to resolve earlier differences over the nomination, leaving the incumbent EU commissioner for administration, auditing and anti-fraud with a clear run to serve a second five-year term.

Kallas was appointed in 2004, but his term expires at the end of October.

A former prime minister, Kallas was one of the founders of the Reform Party, to which current Prime Minister Andrus Ansip belongs.

Coalition partner the Pro Patria/Res Publica Union (IRL) withdrew earlier objections to Kallas' nomination.

"Estonia currently has other important issues that need to be solved, such as drafting the state budget for 2010 and moving out of economic crisis," IRL leader Mart Laar said on September 14.

Once nominated by member states, the 27 EU Commissioners as a single body are subject to a vote of approval by the European Parliament.

The nomination of Kallas is the first among the member states since Jose Manuel Barroso's re-appointment as President of the Commission was confirmed Wednesday in the European Parliament. (dpa)