Press release -

Foreign ministers of the Baltic Sea region met in Norway in first CBSS Ministerial Session since nine years

Ministers of foreign affairs and other high-level representatives from the Baltic Sea region met in Kristiansand, Norway on 25 May 2022 during the 19th Ministerial Session of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS). It was the first ministerial session of the CBSS in nine years.

Organised by Norway, which currently holds the presidency of the CBSS, the meeting was attended by the CBSS member states Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden, and the European Union. Russia, which was suspended from the CBSS earlier in March and informed on 17 May 2022 about its withdrawal from the Council, did not attend.

During the ministerial session, the validity of the Vilnius II Declaration, which was adopted on 1 June 2021, was reaffirmed. The Vilnius II Declaration contains a vision for the Baltic Sea region to be attained by 2030, notably focussing on good governance, youth and the environment. It also addresses climate change, green and blue economy, and civil protection, including the protection of children and other vulnerable groups. Other focus areas are digitalisation, education and culture.

With its current long-term priorities of Regional Identity, Sustainable and Prosperous Region, and Safe and Secure Region, the CBSS currently focuses on building more resilient societies so that they are better equipped to face the challenges of today.

This year, the CBSS has marked its 30th anniversary. Since its beginning in 1992, the CBSS has been a bridge between EU and non-EU member states and a driving force of multi-lateral cooperation in the Baltic Sea region, translates the global long-term objectives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into political and concrete actions on the ground.

The declaration of the 19th CBSS Ministerial Session in Kristiansand, Norway – the Kristiansand Declaration – can be found here.


CBSS media contacts:
Dominik Littfass
Email: media@cbss.org
Tel: +46 76 116 67 53


Note to editors:

  1. Pictures (free of use) of the event will be made available during the course of 25 May 2022 on the CBSS Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cbsssecretariat/albums/72177720299105942
  2. The Kristiansand Declaration will be made available on the CBSS website on 25 May 2022 at around 12 noon (CEST): https://cbss.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/the-declaration-of-the-19th-ministerial-session.pdf
  3. About the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS): Consisting of 11 members – the 10 Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden) and the European Union –, the CBSS supports a global perspective on regional problems. These include politically and practically translating the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, the Palermo Protocol and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, into regional actions on the ground. The CBSS functions as a coordinator of a multitude of regional actors in the areas of its three long-term priorities: Regional Identity, Sustainable & Prosperous Region, Safe & Secure Region. Read more about our priorities and work: https://cbss.org/our-work/
  4. About CBSS Ministerial Sessions: The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) usually holds Ministerial Sessions once per year. They are attended by the Foreign Ministers of the CBSS Member States and a High-Level Representative of the European Union. The Council sessions at foreign minister level haven’t been held since the last edition that took place in Kaliningrad, Russia in 2013, following Russia’s aggression and illegal takeover of Ukrainian territory and military support to rebels in eastern Ukraine. The official annual meetings resumed in 2022. However, since 2017, the foreign ministers have held meetings outside the framework of the Council to maintain some degree of political dialogue and practical cooperation. On 24–25 May 2022, for the first time since 2013, the CBSS held a Ministerial Session in Kristiansand, Norway.

Related links

Topics

  • Politics

Categories

  • council of the baltic sea states
  • ​östersjöstrategi
  • östersjöregionen
  • östersjön
  • cbss

Regions

  • Stockholm

The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) is an inter-governmental organisation, building collaboration and trust in the Baltic Sea Region since 1992. The Members of the Council are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweden, as well as the European Union. The CBSS provides a platform for governments, organisations, communities, and people to build and strengthen partnerships. The Presidency of the Council rotates among the Member States annually. Lithuania currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States 2020-2021.

Related media

  • 220525_TTAA_PHT34
  • License: Media Use
    The content may be downloaded by journalists, bloggers, columnists, creators of public opinion, etc. It can be used and shared in different media channels to convey, narrate, and comment on your press releases, posts, or information, provided that the content is unmodified. The author or creator shall be attributed to the extent and in the manner required by good practice (this means, for example, that photographers should be attributed).
Download

Related content

Foreign ministers and high-level representatives to meet in Norway in first CBSS Ministerial Session since nine years

Ministers of foreign affairs and other high-level representatives from the Baltic Sea region will meet in Kristiansand, Norway on 24-25 May 2022 during the 19th Ministerial Session of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) – its first ministerial session in nine years.