Ministerial Session 2025
Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives from the CBSS Member States and the EU will gather in Estonia on 15–16 May 2025 for the annual Ministerial Session of the Council, concluding Estonia’s Presidency of the CBSS.
On 15–16 May 2025, the Council of the Baltic Sea States held its Ministerial Session in Estonia, with Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives from the CBSS Member States and the European Union due to attend. The session was organised by the Estonian Presidency of the CBSS, marking the conclusion of its tenure.
Under its Presidency, which runs from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, Estonia has prioritised strengthening resilience and sustainability, taking into account the changing security environment in the Baltic Sea Region.
The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) usually holds Ministerial Sessions once per year. These are attended by the Foreign Ministers of the CBSS Member States — Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden — as well as a High-Level Representative of the European Union.
At the Ministerial Sessions, the Ministers determine the main strategic orientations of the CBSS. These decisions are traditionally reflected in a Ministerial Declaration adopted at the sessions, providing overall guidance for the work of the CBSS and its bodies, such as expert groups.
VIHULA Declaration
At the CBSS Ministerial Session 2025, Foreign Ministers have adopted the Vihula Declaration, reaffirming united support for Ukraine, condemning Russia’s aggression and hybrid threats, and highlighting regional cooperation and youth engagement.
- Vihula Declaration: https://cbss.org/ministerialdeclaration2025
Press conference
A press conference on the CBSS Ministerial Session 2025, featuring the Foreign Minister of Estonia, Margus Tsahkna (representing the incumbent CBSS Presidency), and the Foreign Minister of Poland, Radosław Sikorski (representing the upcoming CBSS Presidency), was broadcast live via an open livestream by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia at 12:30 EEST (Tallinn time) / 11:30 CEST (Stockholm time) on Friday, 16 May 2025.
- Official pictures of the CBSS Ministerial Session 2025: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cbsssecretariat/albums/72177720326147156
Photos: Aron Urb / MFA Estonia