Uffe Ellemann-Jensen was key-note speaker at the informal meeting of the three Baltic Prime
Ministers, Valdis Dombrovskis of Latvia (host), Andrus Ansip of Estonia and Andrius Kubilius of Lithuania in Mežotne Palace, Latvia, 21-22 January.
The informal meeting was organized in relation to Latvia’s Presidency of the Baltic Council of Ministers and the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the challenges that the Baltic countries are facing, not least the economic and financial problems. Uffe Ellemann-Jensen was key-note speaker on another topic on the agenda, the Baltic and Nordic cooperation.
Uffe Ellemann-Jensen gave his view on the current Nordic-Baltic cooperation (Denmark chairs presently the Nordic Council of Ministers). Uffe Ellemann-Jensen also drew attention to this year’s BDF Summit, which takes place in Vilnius 1-2 June in connection to the Baltic Sea States Summit and marks the end of the Lithuanian CBSS Presidency. He underlined that it would be a good occasion to discuss issues related to competitiveness, which should be one of the main subjects for Nordic and Baltic cooperation.
Uffe Ellemann-Jensen also had the chance to discuss regional energy cooperation with the three Prime Ministers, another topical issue for Nordic-Baltic cooperation, especially in the context of the Baltic Energy Market Implementation Plan (BEMIP) and the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.
The Baltic Prime Ministers emphasized during their internal meeting the importance of a more predominant knowledge-based economy and development of research in sustaining growth of the national economies.
More info on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia: www.mk.gov.lv