Estonia hands over presidency of Council of Baltic Sea States to Poland
This Tuesday (July 1), Estonia will hand over the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) to Poland, ending its one-year leadership of the organization. On the same day, Estonia will also take over the presidency of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) from Poland, which will run until June 30, 2026.
According to an Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release, during its CBSS Presidency, Estonia paid special attention to hybrid threats, including Russia's so-called shadow fleet. Estonia also proposed the creation of a common code of maritime conduct for Baltic Sea and North Sea countries.
A memorandum of understanding on protecting critical underwater infrastructure was also signed under Estonia's leadership and practical forms of cooperation to support Ukraine were developed involving Ukrainian partners in the work of CBSS expert groups.
The ministry highlighted the report and recommendations compiled by former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on the future of the Council as one of the most important achievements during the Estonian Presidency of the CBSS.
The report stressed the need to strengthen the role of the CBSS as a forum for strategic security dialogue in the Baltic Sea region. In light of Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine and the resulting tense security situation, Estonia considers it important that security discussions are at the center of CBSS's activities.
Estonia will now take over the Presidency of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). The EUSBSR is a framework for cooperation between eight EU member states bordering the Baltic Sea, which aims to promote the protection, regional connectivity and economic prosperity of the Baltic Sea.
According to the foreign ministry, the main objective of the Estonian Presidency of the EUSBSR is to complete the renewal of its founding document, the Action Plan. Given the current challenging security environment, Estonia aims to prioritize strengthening resilience and sustainability, as well as intensifying cooperation between the Strategy's 14 policy areas. Promoting good governance, external communication of the strategy and greater involvement of Ukraine in the strategy will be key focus areas.
The Estonian presidency of the EUSBSR runs until June 30, 2026 and ends with the annual strategy forum, which will take place in Tallinn on June 9 and 10.
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Editor: Michael Cole
