18th SESSION OF THE BALTIC ASSEMBLY

FINAL DOCUMENT
Riga, 2 June 2001

The Baltic Assembly,

having convened on 31 May - 2 June 2001 in Riga, Latvia, for its 18th session,

having discussed the issues of co-operation between the Baltic States and the Nordic countries;

having expressed a wish for closer and more practical co-operation between the Baltic and Nordic parliamentarians; and

having agreed to seek new opportunities for further improvement of the environment for entrepreneurial activity in the Baltic States,

adopted the following documents:

• Statement on the Development of Co-operation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council;

• Appeal to the Governments of the Baltic States on Cross-border Co-operation;

• Resolution on the Development of a Common Baltic Education Area;

• Appeal to the Baltic Council of Ministers on Curbing Illicit Transit of and Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors;

• Appeal to the Baltic Council of Ministers concerning Climate Change Mitigation Issues;

• Appeal to the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Leadership of the Chechen Republic Ichkerya; and

decided that the 19th session of the Baltic Assembly will take place on 13-15 December 2001 in Tallinn, the Republic of Estonia.

2 June 2001, Riga

STATEMENT

On the Development of Co-operation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council

The Baltic Assembly,

greatly appreciating the Nordic countries' support for regaining the Baltic States' independence and their integration into the European Union, the proposal by the Conservative Group of the Nordic Council of 27 June 2000 to extend an invitation for the Baltic States to join the Nordic Council, and the survey on the further development of the Northern region carried out by the working group of the Nordic Council of Ministers which emphasises the need to intensify co-operation with the Baltic States;

noting the existing co-operation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council, the results of the 3rd Joint Meeting and the fact that in the enlarged European Union Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, together with the Nordic countries, will logically constitute a single region based not only on geographical closeness but also on common values and noting the need for small countries to co-operate within the European Union and other international organisations;

stressing that the Baltic States' membership in the Nordic Council is an issue of an immediate agenda,

emphasises that the Baltic Assembly is interested in further expansion and intensification of co-operation with the Nordic Council and in participation in Northern Dimension projects by

• organising joint conferences on issues relevant for the region;

• expressing a common stand of the eight countries of the region at international forums;

• forming joint standing committees;

• promoting co-operation between the committees of the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council;

• actively participating in the working groups of the Nordic Council;

• vitalising contacts between political party groups,

as well as by facilitating and supporting

• Nordic countries' investment in the Baltic States,

• people-to-people contacts among the eight countries of the region,

• co-operation of local governments,

• co-operation of non-governmental and civic society organisations,

• development of tourism,

• creation of a common educational space of the Baltic and Nordic countries; and

calls on the Nordic Council to facilitate rapprochement of the Baltic States with the Nordic countries by admitting the Baltic States to those Nordic co-operation institutions where their participation is already possible.

2 June 2001, Riga

Appeal 
to the GOVERNMENTS OF the Baltic STATES

On Cross-Border Co-operation 

The Baltic Assembly,

noting that the aim of the Baltic Assembly is to reach greater unity among its member states and to promote their co-operation and that it is necessary to ensure participation of local government institutions and inhabitants of the Baltic States in achieving this aim;

taking into consideration the fact that, for reaching this aim, co-operation among local government institutions and inhabitants of the border territories in the sphere of regional, urban and rural development, environmental protection, improvement of utility and public services, as well as mutual assistance in crisis situations, could be of importance;

being guided by the European Outline Convention on Trans-Frontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities and its Additional Protocol, as well as by the experience of the EU countries which proves that co-operation among local and regional administrative institutions helps them to perform their tasks more efficiently and promotes particularly the development of border regions;

committed to promoting such co-operation as much as possible, thereby making its contribution to the economic and social development of border regions, and to strengthening the spirit of brotherhood that unites the Baltic peoples,

calls on the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania:

• to facilitate the conclusion of interstate agreements for promoting closer cross-border co-operation and to resolve, by mutually co-ordinating their actions, any legal, administrative or technical problems which hinder the development of cross-border co-operation;

• to establish a permanently functioning bilateral co-ordinating institution (Committee) with a view to resolving cross-border problems.

2 June 2001, Riga

Resolution

On the Development of a Common Baltic Education Area

The Baltic Assembly,

taking into account the fact that all Baltic States âÀ” Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania âÀ”consider education as one of the most important internal policy priorities and an essential instrument for integration into EU structures;

believing that only within a common Baltic education area it is possible to use more efficiently and rationally the intellectual potential and material resources of the Baltic States' education systems for the acquisition of a modern, competitive and more accessible education at all levels;

noting that the already concluded intergovernmental agreements on the establishment of a common area of education in the Baltic States in the spheres of general secondary, vocational and higher education, as well as on the recognition of academic qualifications and the exchange of students, researchers and faculty members have a great and positive significance for promoting co-operation in education among the Baltic States,

calls on the Baltic Council of Ministers

to actively continue work on improving a common Baltic education area, focusing increased attention on:

• ensuring financial support for students at higher educational institutions in the Baltic States, in conformity with the stipulations of the intergovernmental agreement on a common Baltic education area, by earmarking for their implementation funding in the education sections of each Baltic State's national budget;

• developing a uniform system of loans for students to cover tuition and living expenses while studying at any higher education institution in any of the Baltic States;

• developing a uniform and functional discount system for use of public transport by general secondary, vocational and higher education students, allowing to use for this purpose student identification documents recognised in all Baltic States.

2 June 2001, Riga

Appeal
to the Baltic Council of Ministers

On Curbing Illicit Transit of and Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors

The Baltic Assembly,

taking into account the fact that the Baltic States are located at the intersection of transcontinental trade routes and pointing out that criminal organisations try to use Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for illicit transit of and trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors;

emphasising the wish of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to establish a uniform customs and border control administration system, as well as to curb the illicit distribution of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in the Baltic States,

calls on

• the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to pay special attention to the need to intensify the combat of illicit transit of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors;

• the parliaments and the governments, particularly the ministries of finance, the ministries of the interior and the ministries of justice of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to make the relevant amendments to legislative and regulatory acts with a view to allocating the necessary resources and improving the performance of the border guard, customs services and the police in curbing the illicit transit of and trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in the Baltic States.

2 June 2001, Riga

APPEAL

TO THE BALTIC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

concerning Climate Change Mitigation Issues

The Baltic Assembly,

taking into consideration the fact that the Baltic States have fulfilled the obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for the year 2000 and have commenced preparatory work to implement the commitments of the Kyoto Protocol of 1998,

calls on

• the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to pay special attention to climate change mitigation issues and

• to support the Final Statement of the Symposium of the parliamentarians of the Benelux Interparliamentary Consultative Council, the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly adopted on 27 April 2001 in Brussels.

2 June 2001, Riga

APPEAL

To the State Duma of the Russian Federation

and the Leadership of the Chechen Republic Ichkerya

The Baltic Assembly,

being deeply convinced that any kind of peace is better than military actions and that war is the worst method for resolving any problem because it causes even more problems and human suffering,

calls on the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the leadership of the Chechen Republic Ichkerya to appoint authorised delegations to make contacts and meet in order to facilitate the resumption of peace negotiations.

2 June 2001, Riga