Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins: enhanced competitiveness and business environment in Baltic Sea Region - priority on CBSS agenda [04 Jun 2009]

On 3-4 June Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins took part in the 15th Ministerial Session of the Council of the Baltic Sea States in Elsinore, Denmark. As part of their discussions, the ministers reviewed the results achieved in the area of regional co-operation during the Danish presidency, granted new countries the status as observers to the Council, thus further enlarging the organisation, as well as set new priorities.

In his address, Foreign Minister Riekstins emphasised that the capabilities by the CBSS to take forward the initiated reforms and its readiness to focus efforts on key priorities will be a significant contribution to the competitiveness of the Baltic Sea Region, when facing future challenges.

The Foreign Minister of Latvia noted in particular the need for regional co-operation and the dialogue in the energy sector, which is one of the CBSS long term priorities. Minister Riekstins indicated that the declaration on single Baltic energy market signed recently by the Prime Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as the development of a unified Baltic energy market interconnection plan are significant tools for the integration of the Baltic and Nordic energy markets.

The CBSS and other regional organisations should pay greater attention to raising competitiveness, enhancing the business environment and economic co-operation in the region as well as to the improvement of cross-border infrastructure and to the issues of civil security, including crime prevention, Foreign Minister Riekstins emphasised.

During the Danish Presidency, the implementation was launched of the Declaration on the Reform of the CBSS adopted in Riga by the CBSS Summit on 3 June 2008. Within a year, new Terms of Reference of the CBSS and of its Secretariat were drafted and adopted, as well as principles and guidelines for the involvement of third parties. Three permanent CBSS working groups were dissolved or restructured into expert groups with clearly specified and achievable tasks and timeframe. From 1 July, Belarus, Spain and Rumania are to become observers to the CBSS.

Lithuania will take over the CBSS Presidency from Denmark on 1 July. As its priorities, Lithuania has proposed innovation, cross-border co-operation, security in the Baltic Sea Region and environmental issues, as well as an active involvement of the Kaliningrad Oblast and Belarus in the implementation of the region's joint priorities.

On 3 June, the CBSS Ministerial Session in Elsinore was also attended by former Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga as a guest of honour, who spoke in her address about past challenges and future prospects for the Baltic Sea countries.

Further information available on the CBSS official website: www.cbss.org

Declaration of the 15th CBSS Ministerial Session, Elsinore 4 June 2009 (complete text in English): http://www.cbss.org/Summits-and-Council-Ministerials/summits-and-council-ministerials

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