Speaker of the Seimas in Stockholm: ‘Geopolitical developments offer an opportunity to enhance the NB8 region’

Press release, 24 August 2023 

Photo by Olga Posaškova, Office of the Seimas

Today in Sweden, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, observed that in over 30 years, the Nordic-Baltic cooperation had undergone a dramatic transformation. However, as we are facing the biggest security challenges since the end of the Cold War, now is the best time to seize new opportunities to enhance the NB8 region through even greater political, economic and social cohesion.

‘The stronger the economic development, political cooperation, common defence and social relations, the more competitiveness and security we will enjoy in the Nordic-Baltic region and the more prosperity will be achieved in each individual country. With Finland having joined NATO and I hope Sweden shortly following suit, our cooperation is taking on a clearer dimension of security policy and defence. I believe that these two countries will make a substantial contribution to strengthening the security of the Baltic States, and therefore the security of the whole Eastern flank of the Alliance,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said when addressing the Speakers of the Parliaments of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, and Sweden.

According to the Speaker of the Seimas, current geopolitical developments in the region and in our neighbourhood offer us a unique opportunity to enhance the NB8 cooperation even more.

‘I have suggested giving a new impetus to the NB8 cooperation to the Colleagues at the meeting, Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

According to the Speaker of the Seimas, closer cooperation among the NB8 Parliaments would benefit from new joint initiatives and projects for parliamentary activities both within the region and at international level. Furthermore, it is crucial to strengthen the common voice of the NB8 Parliaments, which would have an unprecedented impact on other international formats. This could include joint NB8 statements or positions, mutual support for resolutions or parliamentary statements, and coordinated parliamentary activities at major international events.

‘Finally, with a view to ensuring the security of our region and the world, the NB8 countries must continue to comprehensively support Ukraine’s EU and NATO membership aspirations,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen concluded.

Photo by Olga Posaškova, Office of the Seimas

Ilona Petrovė, Spokesperson for Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, tel.+370 5 239 6030, mob. + 370 698 42071, e-mail: [email protected], www.lrs.lt