Informal Meeting of CBSS Foreign Ministers held in Warsaw

At the invitation of Minister Radosław Sikorski, top diplomats of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) member states held an informal discussion today at the Palace of the Commonwealth in Warsaw. High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas also took part in the meeting.

Poland currently holds Presidency of the CBSS. The meeting was convened at the initiative of the Polish Presidency to address the need to strengthen the organisation's political dimension and initiate an in-depth discussion among the region's countries on the current security challenges.

The participants took stock of the preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, scheduled for this July, and reviewed the progress of the commitments made at the previous NATO summit in The Hague.

The ministers also discussed the status of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia from the perspective of the Baltic Sea region.

Countries in the Baltic Sea region are particularly interested in achieving and implementing strong security guarantees for Ukraine-ones that will deter the Russian Federation's further aggression, ensure Ukraine's stability and the rebuilding of its military deterrence capabilities, and thus create favourable conditions for economic growth in the country and across the region.

The participants also discussed the main challenges of the enlargement process, which is now directly linked to the security dimension. They expressed support for Ukraine's accession to the European Union, and emphasised the need for the country to align its legislation with the EU acquis.

***

The Council of the Baltic Sea States was established in 1992 with Poland as one of its founders. The current members include Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the EU. The Council focuses on supporting political dialogue and cooperation, setting strategic priorities and guiding regional initiatives in line with the organisation's long-term priorities, namely Regional Identity, Sustainable & Prosperous Region, and Safe & Secure Region. At present, the Council of the Baltic Sea States runs four main working groups: the Expert Group on Sustainable Maritime Economy, the Task Force Against Trafficking in Human Beings, the Expert Group on Children at Risk, and the Civil Protection Network.