On 3 June 2025, Tallinn hosted the annual consultations of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic states on consular matters, at which consular officers discussed the topics of current importance, including a wider use of digital tools and the readiness of the Baltic states to issue the new model of the European Union’s emergency travel document.
During the consultations, the participants shared their best practices for more efficient provision of consular services, including by outsourcing and using digital tools more widely. There was also a discussion on ensuring continuity of consular functions and training of officials.
'We live in a dynamic era with the global security situation changing rapidly and technologies constantly evolving. Appropriate training and preparedness of the consular service staff is vital for the service to be ready for new challenges,” Agnese Saliņa, Director of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underlined during the consultations.
The meeting also addressed the Baltic states’ readiness to issue the new model of the EU emergency travel document from December 2025 onwards. Opinions were then shared on proposals for amendments to the EU Directive that would facilitate consular protection of unrepresented EU citizens in third countries. The Directive was adopted in 2015 during the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU and is being reviewed in line with the current situation.
Consultations of the Baltic states’ consular services are an important and valuable platform for sharing of experience to improve the efficiency of consular services. They are organized annually on a rotational basis, and were held in Riga last year. Next year, the consular consultations will take place in Vilnius.