Final event on Gotland concludes the Swedish EUSBSR presidency and sets a vision for the future
As the Swedish Presidency came to a close, the Baltic Sea Macro-Region gathered in Visby, Gotland on 4-6 June to discuss civil society and youth engagement as well as sustainable cooperation with Ukraine. On this basis, a ground of collaboration is set for the upcoming Latvian Presidency.
Representatives from all over the Baltic Sea macro-region convened in Visby, Gotland – the heart of the Baltic Sea – for the highly anticipated final event of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) under the Swedish Presidency. The 3-day event, organised by EUSBSR together with Region Gotland, served as a platform for exchange and discussions, with a focus on the topics of fostering sustainable cooperation between Ukraine and the Baltic Sea and Danube macro-region as well as engaging civil society, youth and business.
To commence the event, Jessika Roswall, the Swedish Minister of EU Affairs, delivered a speech that contemplated the Swedish EUSBSR Presidency as well as the Swedish EU Presidency.
Throughout its tenure as the EUSBSR Presidency, Sweden has placed significant emphasis on fostering collaboration at various levels through measures such as reinforcing implementation, enhancing knowledge sharing, and refining communication channels. The prominence of supporting Ukraine and engaging with Ukrainian stakeholders has significantly escalated during the Presidency term.
“During the Swedish Presidency, cooperation with Ukraine has been a natural and obvious priority for the EUSBSR.”
Swedish Minister of EU Affairs Jessika Roswall
During the event on Gotland, Ukrainian perspectives on the importance of macroregional strategies as a tool for European integration were pointed out by Nadija Afanasieva, Director of the Ukrainian Institute of International Politics. It is anticipated to maintain a significant position on the agenda for the foreseeable future.
The CBSS was represented by Policy Area Secure Adviser Andriy Martynenko who contributed to many discussions with his expertise on security in the region and Marie Schädler, Intern and Project Assistant for Youth who took part in a panel discussion about the engagement of civil society and youth organisations. The greatest potential to guarantee meaningful youth participation and resilient societies could be seen in the recently established Baltic Sea Region Youth Forum (BSRYF). The BSRYF is a tool that gathers young people, individuals and those representing organisations to shape the Baltic Sea Region agenda.
Synergies could be identified between the Baltic Sea and Danube macro-region and Ukraine, particularly when it comes to combating tokenism in youth engagement. Together with the stakeholders from the region, CBSS aims to build a regional identity and places its hopes in the forthcoming Latvian EUSBSR presidency to sustain the efforts in youth engagement.
“Engaging Civil Society and Youth Organisations”
Contact for Youth: Aline Mayr, CBSS Policy Officer for Youth: [email protected]
Contact for bsr-secure.eu: Andriy Martynenko, CBSS Adviser for Safe and Secure Region and Policy Area Secure: [email protected]