Accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will contribute to strengthening of security in Baltic Sea region - Rinkevics

• Published date: 25 May 2022
• Publication title: LETA

RIGA, May 25 (LETA) - On May 24-25, in Kristiansand, Norway, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics took part in the 19th Ministerial Session of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), LETA learned from the ministry.

This was the first meeting of the CBSS Ministers of Foreign Affairs since 2013 when the convening of such annual sessions was suspended, following Russia's annexation of Crimea.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs exchanged views on the future of the Baltic Sea region. Rinkevics underlined that cooperation in the CBSS would not be possible without a common understanding of values that underpin every democratic state. The Minister welcomed the decision of Finland and Sweden to join NATO, which would contribute significantly to the strengthening of security in the Baltic Sea region and open up new avenues for cooperation on defense matters. Russia's aggression has increased instability; under those circumstances, the historic decision by Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership is a major contribution to the Baltic Sea region's security, Rinkevics noted.

"Ukraine already has an observer status in the Council of the Baltic Sea States. It is a formal...