IN HELSINKI, NORDIC AND BALTIC FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES IN THE REGION
On 29-30 August in Helsinki, Finland, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis took part in the annual meeting of the foreign ministers of the Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8). The meeting discussed perspectives for more active cooperation and integration of businesses of the NB8 countries and set out guidelines for further regional development.
At the meeting, foreign ministers also marked the 20th anniversary of the Baltic-Nordic cooperation.
A.Ažubalis and his counterparts, who participated in the meeting, discussed the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus.
During the joint press conference of the NB8 ministers, on behalf of the countries Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus.
At the meeting, the Nordic and Baltic ministers discussed topical issues of foreign policy: processes in the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries, the situation in North Africa and the Western Balkan countries. The participants of the meeting gave special attention to the relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
On the same day in Helsinki, Lithuanian Foreign Minister participated in the seminar “Nordic and Baltic countries: the forthcoming two decades”. The seminar focused on the goals of today and the region’s future development prospects.
During the debate at Finland’s Parliament, ministers discussed the role of the Baltic and Nordic countries in the global context. According to A.Ažubalis, the Nordic-Baltic region has the potential to become an engine for Europe’s development.
“When wishing our region to really become a model, which would bring together the entire EU, we have to strive for an even greater business integration of our countries, the creation of common information space and make increased efforts to strengthen internal security in Europe, firstly in the Schengen area,” the Minister said.
According to A.Ažubalis, the Nordic-Baltic cooperation will remain a top priority for Lithuania, as it will take over the coordination of the NB8 activities next year.
The informal meeting of NB8 ministers with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kostyantyn Gryshchenko focused on Ukraine’s possibilities to complete the negotiations with the EU on the association agreement and the free trade agreement before the end of 2011.
The NB8 ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding, based on which the Nordic and Baltic countries will be able to send their diplomats to work in any representation of the region’s states in third countries.
This is done with an aim to facilitate and optimize the representation of the region of the NB8 countries abroad.
