President: Baltic and Nordic cooperation is a leading example of regional parliamentary diplomacy

On 9 December 2025, President of the Baltic Assembly Jānis Vucāns attended the Summit of the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council, which took place in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The summit focused on small states in the international system. “The history and experience of the Baltic and Nordic countries show that small states are not just those who make use of the international system. On the contrary, we are often the strongest advocates and the most active contributors to global governance,” said Jānis Vucāns.

He added that the cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council has become one of the most effective examples of how parliamentary diplomacy works on a regional level.  He believed that the Baltic and Nordic countries demonstrate well that small states can shape agendas and set international standards.

Meanwhile, Heléne Björklund, President of the Nordic Council, said that the main strength of the Baltic-Nordic region lies in the appeal and resilience of the societies. “We are successful, democratic, and prosperous, and this gives us credibility and influence on the international stage. Many admire our way of life and look to us as a model, which allows us to promote our values effectively. By combining this with close cooperation and active engagement in international organisations, we turn our small size into a real advantage.”

Director of the Center for Geopolitical Studies Riga and Associate Professor at Riga Stradins University Māris Andžāns shed light on the history, current status, and future of cooperation between the Baltic and Nordic countries. He highlighted that the Nordic-Baltic region is both a peninsula of freedom and a space for unrest, with the most vulnerable being the Baltic States, Iceland and Greenland. He pointed out that Russia and Belarus will be major disruptors in the region in the long term.

Māris Andžāns said that he believes that the Baltic and Nordic cooperation is vital and can be expanded. He noted that it is vital that the countries stay on the same page if or when the war in Ukraine pauses. There is also a need for a more harmonious and principled China policy in the Nordic-Baltic region, as well as Nordic soldiers in the Baltics, Nordic fighter jets in the Baltic airfields and Nordic vessels in the Baltic ports on a permanent basis.

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