Nordic Council

Cooperation with the Nordic Council

Close contacts with members of the Nordic Council started already in 1990. A delegation from the Nordic Council officially visited the Baltic States in November 1990 and met representatives of the Council of the Baltic States. A working group of the Baltic and Nordic countries was established in September 1991 to support the Baltic States in creation of a cooperation organisation for the parliaments of the Baltic States.

The Agreement on Parliamentary Cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council was signed on 30 May 1992 in Palanga, when organisations agreed to cooperate in developing democratic institutions and the following fields - environmental protection, security policy, culture and education, trade and market economy, agriculture, communications and energy. On 26 September 1997 in Kalmar, Baltic Assembly and Nordic Council decided to deepen ties and sign the second Cooperation Agreement in the view of common concerns regarding the security and stability in the Baltic Sea Region. By conclusion of the 1997 Agreement of Parliamentary Cooperation, the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council defined particular priority areas of cooperation such as political, economic, legal, ecological, social, cultural and educational development of the region, security and fight against organised crime and illegal migration.

Throughout the years, the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council have developed close cooperation and coordination of activities on all institutional levels of these organizations: presidiums, committees, party groups and Secretariats. In 2004, after the Baltic States joined the European Union, new forms of cooperation were set. It was agreed to replace former large-scale joint meetings of the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council with smaller-scale summits and various meetings on issues of mutual interest.

Regional, political and economical ties

The Baltic and Nordic countries are linked regionally, politically and economically. Cooperation of the Baltic and Nordic countries is grounded in shared values, mutual trust and solidarity. Cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council strives to find common solutions for current security, economic, environmental, demographic and other challenges to promote growth and welfare of our region. By joining forces and showing the collective political will, Baltic and Nordic countries have more tools to foster growth and development. Security and defence, energy, transport and infrastructure, internal security and the control of external borders, health care and social questions, environmental protection of the Baltic Sea, research, education and culture are those strategically important areas where coordinated actions could be useful for the region as a whole. The Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council strengthen the interaction between legislative and executive branches in order to better represent common regional interests, develop more comprehensive and inclusive regional cooperation as well as expand borders of cooperation and raise the Baltic–Nordic profile in international forums.

Common positions, decisions and projects of the Baltic and Nordic countries should promote sustainability and development and send a strong message of Baltic–Nordic partnership and cooperation to the rest of the world. Baltic Assembly and Nordic Council are interested to promote visibility of the Baltic–Nordic region on the European level.

Focus of the cooperation in 2024-2026

Support for Ukraine in repairing the damage of war
Comprehensive foreign and security policy, including cybersecurity and increased resilience of the Baltic and Nordic societies to disinformation, fake news and propaganda of authoritarian regimes
Supporting democracy and democratic transitions, especially in the Eastern Partnership countries
Energy security and sustainability in the Baltic-Nordic region
Transport, energy and infrastructure interconnectivity and digital interoperability
Climate change mitigation and sustainable, resource-efficient and circular economies in the region
Interconnectivity of education systems of the Baltic and Nordic states, including mutual recognition of higher education diplomas in the Baltic-Nordic region

Decision on Priorities of Cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council for 2024 to 2026 was signed during the Annual Summit of the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly on 22 September 2023 in Tallinn (Estonia).

Annual summits of the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council

1^st BA-NC summit on 15 December 2006
2^nd BA-NC summit on 3-4 December 2007 in Oslo, Norway
3^rd BA-NC summit on 22–23 January 2009 in Tallinn, Estonia
4^th BA-NC summit on 17-18 February 2010 in Vilnius, Lithuania
5^th BA-NC summit on 7 December 2010 in Kirkkonummi, Finland
6^th BA-NC summit on 7 December 2011 in Reykjavik, Iceland
7^th BA-NC summit on 17-18 January 2013 in Riga, Latvia
8^th BA-NC summit on 21-22 January 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark
9^th BA-NC summit on 1 – 2 December 2014 in Lysebu, Norway
10^th BA-NC summit on 7 December 2015 in Vilnius, Lithuania
11^thBA-NC summit on 28-29 November 2016 in Keflavik, Iceland
12^th BA-NC summit on 27 November 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark
13^th BA-NC summit on 10 December 2018 in Espoo, Finland
14^th BA-NC summit on 9 December 2019 in Hadeland, Norway
Digital 15^th BA-NC summit on 14 December 2020
16^th BA-NC summit on 24-25 April 2022 in Helsinki, Finland
17^th BA-NC summit on 4-6 September 2022 in Reykjavik, Iceland
18^th BA-NC summit on 21-22 September 2023 in Tallinn, Estonia

Joint documents

Agreement on Parliamentary Cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council, 30 May 1992 (download)
Agreement on parliamentary cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council, 26 September 1997 (download)
Action Plan, Priority Issues in Nordic - Baltic Parliamentary Cooperation, 2006 (download)
Action Plan, For Baltic Assembly - Nordic Council Cooperation, 2007 (download)
The Baltic Assembly's Environmental Protection and Energy Committee and the Nordic Council's Environment and Natural Resources Committee Memorandum of Understanding, 26 January 2007(download)
Action Plan, For Baltic Assembly - Nordic Council Cooperation, 2008 (download)
Action Plan, For Baltic Assembly - Nordic Council Cooperation, 2009 (download)
Action Plan, For Baltic Assembly - Nordic Council Cooperation, 2010 (download)
Strategy for Cooperation between the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly, 2011 (download)
Action Plan for Cooperation between the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly, 2012-2013 (download)
Action Plan for Cooperation between the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly, 2014-2015 (download)
Action Plan for Cooperation between the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly, 2016-2017 (download)
Action Plan for Cooperation between the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly, 2018-2019 (download)
Decision on Priorities of Cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council 2020-2021 (download)
Decision on Priorities of Cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council 2022-2023 (download)
Decision on Priorities of Cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council 2024-2026 (download)