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The 43rd Session of the Baltic Assembly and the 30th Baltic Council will take place on 17–18 October 2024 in Vilnius, Lithuania. This significant event will bring together parliamentary representatives and government officials from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as guests from Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Ukraine and many other countries to discuss vital regional issues and strengthen cooperation of the Baltic States and beyond.
Baltic Assembly Prize and Medals Award Ceremony
The programme of the Session will begin with the Baltic Assembly Prize and Medals Award Ceremony on the evening of 17 October at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. This year, the Baltic Assembly Prize in Literature will be awarded to Estonian writer and poet Rein Raud for his novel “The Plague Train’’. The Prize in the Arts will be awarded to Latvian film director Dāvis Sīmanis for his internationally acclaimed, Berlin International Film Festival award-winning feature film “Maria’s Silence”, which is a Latvian-Lithuanian co-production that presents a high-quality artistic portrayal of important and fateful historical events for the entire Baltic region. The Prize in Science will be awarded to Lithuanian Prof. Habil. Dr Limas Kupčinskas for his outstanding contribution to fundamental and clinical research and innovation in the field of digestive and liver diseases, and professional scientific achievements.
The medals of the Baltic Assembly will also be awarded during the Ceremony. The Medal is an award of the Baltic Assembly for upholding the unity and cooperation of the Baltic States, outstanding contribution and cooperation in implementing cooperation projects and promoting regional cooperation in an enlarged Europe. The motto of the medal – Ubi Concordia, Ibi Victoria.
Opening of the Session and the 30th Baltic Council
The official opening of the Session will follow on 18 October at the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. The opening session will be chaired by President of the Baltic Assembly Andrius Kupčinskas (Lithuania), as well as Vice Presidents of the Baltic Assembly Jānis Vucāns (Latvia) and Timo Suslov (Estonia). The Session will be opened by Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Saeima of Latvia Daiga Mieriņa and President of the Riigikogu of Estonia Lauri Hussar.
The 30th Baltic Council chaired by President of the Baltic Assembly Andrius Kupčinskas and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and Chair of the Cooperation Council of the Baltic Council of Ministers Gabrielius Landsbergis will focus on regional security and foreign policy. The Council will be addressed also by Minister of Justice of Latvia Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna. The Council will conclude with the signing of the Joint Statement of the 30th Baltic Council.
Focus on the role of the Baltic States in AI development
In the afternoon, the Session will continue with the discussion “Regional Artificial Intelligence: The Role of the Baltic States in AI Development” chaired by members of the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian delegations. Speakers will include Head of the Digital Initiative Management Division of the Digital Agenda Department at the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of Lithuania Lina Giedraitienė, Director of the Digital Policy Department at the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development of Latvia Rinalds Celmiņš and Education Innovation Advisor at the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia Sten Kapten. The Session will also feature a discussion on current and future cooperation among the Baltic States, followed by addresses by foreign delegations and guests.
Closing of the Session and the transfer of the presidency
The Session will conclude with the adoption of the Resolution and Final Document, and the election of the President, Vice Presidents, and Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Committees for 2025. Lithuania will transfer the presidency of the Baltic Assembly and the Baltic Council of Ministers to Latvia, and the newly elected President of the Baltic Assembly will deliver an address before the Session is formally closed.
The annual Session of the Baltic Assembly and the Baltic Council provides a vital platform for strengthening regional cooperation, addressing shared challenges, and advancing the unity of the Baltic States.
Press conference and updates of the Session on social media
On 18 October 2024 from 13:00 to 13:30, the press conference will be held with the participation of President of the Baltic Assembly Andrius Kupčinskas (Lithuania), Vice Presidents of the Baltic Assembly Jānis Vucāns (Latvia) and Timo Suslov (Estonia), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and Chair of the Cooperation Council of the Baltic Council of Ministers Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Justice of Latvia Inese Lībiņa-Egnere and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna. They will inform the participants of the press conference about the results of the work of the Baltic Assembly and the Baltic Council of Ministers in 2024, and the plans for the next year. You can follow the press conference online here.
Follow the latest updates from the 43rd Session of the Baltic Assembly and 30th Baltic Council on the social media channels of the Baltic Assembly in Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X.
Contact information:
Office of the BA Secretariat
Citadeles Street 2-616, Riga LV-1010, Latvia
+371 67225178
secretariat@baltasam.org
