Baltic, Nordic ministers in Riga look back at 25 years of cooperation

Foreign ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries (NB8) gathered this week to review Baltic-Nordic cooperation over the last quarter century, the Latvian foreign ministry said Friday.

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia mark the 25th anniversary of their renewed independence this week.

The Baltic foreign ministers -- Latvia's Edgars Rinkevics, Lithuania's Linas Linkevicius and Estonia's Marina Kaljurand -- thanked the Nordic countries for their support in the Baltic states' reform processes and integration with various international bodies like the European Union (EU), NATO and other organizations.

Iceland received special recognition as the first country in the world to recognize the Baltic states' restored independence back in 1991.

The ministers concluded that political and practical ties between the Baltic and Nordic countries were as close as ever before in areas like business contacts, security, culture, and education, among others.

The ministers also spoke appreciatively about the commitments made at NATO's recent summit in Warsaw, concluding it was necessary now to focus on their implementation.

Speaking at a news conference following the two-day talks, Rinkevics voiced the NB8 ministers' unanimous position that Europe had to grow stronger in order to address the needs and concerns of its citizens.

"Our common position is that there is a need for a strong Europe that would ensure security for all citizens," Rinkevics said.

The ministers also discussed the need for a much more extensive coordination and closer cooperation on economic issues, including growth and job creation.

The talks also focused on the responsibility of European institutions and the necessity to increase their accountability. The Latvian foreign minister noted a certain discrepancy between EU institutions' activities and member states' perceptions of those activities.

"On the other hand, many politicians are quick to blame Brussels for their own mistakes and omissions," Rinkevics said.

The Baltic and Nordic politicians agreed that close cooperation had to continue to ensure Europe's future.

While discussing the British referendum results, in which the majority of votes were cast for leaving the European Union, the ministers were unanimous in their view that Britain should remain as close to Europe as possible. Rinkevics indicated, however, that discussions on Britain's exit from the bloc were still in the very early stages.

Riga hosted the annual meeting of Baltic and Nordic foreign ministers this Thursday and Friday as this year's coordinator of NB8 cooperation. Norway is due to take over as the NB8 coordinator next year.

NB8 is a cooperation format that includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. Endit