Foreign Minister Tsahkna: the Estonian Presidency is heading the report on the future of the CBSS at a historic moment
Today 20 January, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna met with the high-level rapporteurs of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Gabrielius Landsbergis to discuss the process of composing a report on the future of the CBSS. The meeting was followed by a public discussion moderated by Gustav Lindström, Director General of the Stockholm-based Secretariat of the CBSS.
“Estonia is heading the drafting of the report on the future of the CBSS at a historic moment because the threat from the east hangs over all the countries of the region. Security is increasingly important for our entire region, which is why we must cooperate in this area to the maximum extent,” Foreign Minister Tsahkna said, opening the discussion. He added that the report will be presented in May in Tallinn, when Estonia is hosting the annual meeting of CBSS foreign ministers.
Estonia has held the CBSS Presidency since 1 July 2024, with a focus on increasing resilience and sustainability in the Baltic Sea Region, and including Ukraine in the activities of the CBSS. On the initiative of the Estonian Presidency, CBSS member states decided to offer this position to Toomas Hendrik Ilves (Estonian President from 2006 to 2016) and Gabrielius Landsbergis (Lithuanian Foreign Minister from 2020 to 2024).
The event can be watched online:
Estonian MFA’s press release on the appointment of the high-level rapporteurs: https://vm.ee/uudised/ilves-ja-landsbergis-koostavad-laanemeremaade-noukogu-tulevikuraporti
Photos of the round table: https://www.flickr.com/photos/estonian-foreign-ministry/albums/72177720323287865/
