Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, one of the founding fathers of the CBSS, has passed away

Ellemann-Jensen, together with his German counterpart Hans-Dietrich Genscher, was instrumental in setting up the CBSS in 1992, in a bid to support the geopolitical transition taking place in the Baltic Sea region that resulted from the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

On invitation by Ellemann-Jensen and Genscher, the CBSS was established in 1992 as a forum for political dialogue between the countries of the Baltic Sea region. At the time, Denmark and Germany were the only CBSS countries that were also members of the European Union.

With a view to “protect, support and develop democratic institutions” and to “improve people-to-people contact”, as laid out in the Declaration of the 1^st Ministerial Session of the CBSS of 1992, or Copenhagen Declaration, the CBSS has since then served as a regional forum for political dialogue.

The CBSS has since then particularly focused on individual freedom, respect for human rights, economic growth, the protection of the environment and energy, and cooperation in the field of culture, education, tourism and information.