Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) is a regional co-operation format that includes

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

, and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

. Under NB8, regular meetings are held of the

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...

and Nordic countries' Prime Ministers, Speakers of Parliaments, Foreign Ministers, branch ministers, Secretaries of State and political directors of Foreign Ministries, as well as expert consultations where regional issues and current international topics are reviewed.

History

Historically, the countries of the region have been interlinked and interacted for centuries, with mutual trade being the decisive factor facilitating this interaction. The most profound bond, however was created during the 1990s. The

Nordic Council The Nordic Council is the official body for formal inter-parliamentary Nordic cooperation among the Nordic countries. Formed in 1952, it has 87 representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden as well as from the autonomou ...

first contacted Baltic parliamentarians in around 1989. Official co-operation began in November 1991, when the Nordic Council attended the inaugural meeting of the Baltic Assembly in Tallinn. A formal co-operation agreement between the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly was signed in 1992. The

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sw ...

were amongst the strongest supporters of the Baltic countries' independence and later they were the first to open their borders, introducing visa-free regimes with the Baltic countries. When Baltic countries regained their independence and during their integration into the European and transatlantic structures, they were strongly supported by their Nordic neighbors. The Nordic-Baltic co-operation took place in various levels: networking and cooperation were established among politicians, civil servants and civil societies. The Nordic countries actively assisted the Baltic countries in their preparations for integration into the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...

and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

. Named as 5+3 in the beginning of cooperation (five Nordic countries plus three Baltic States), the format changed its name and scope of cooperation. During the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic States and Nordic Countries on 30 August 2000 in

Middelfart Middelfart is a town in central Denmark, with a population of 16,277 . The town is the municipal seat of Middelfart Municipality on the island of Funen ( da, Fyn). Etymology The name Middelfart, first recorded as "Mæthælfar" in Valdemar's Cen ...

(Denmark), the Ministers decided that the meetings of the Ministers of the Baltic States and Nordic Countries will be called NB8.

Nordic–Baltic countries today

The Nordic–Baltic community is one of the three main communities in Northern Europe: these are Nordic, Baltic and Baltic Sea Region. The Nordic–Baltic region has some 33 million inhabitants, and a combined

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...

of close to $2.0 trillion, which makes it the tenth-largest population and fifth-largest economy in Europe. Furthermore, the region features relatively low levels of corruption; with the Nordic countries being some of the least corrupt countries in the world. Also, the countries of the region place well in various international freedom rankings, with several of the states at the absolute top. The Nordic–Baltic countries also do well in surveys that measure the ease of doing business and creating new companies. The Human Development Index places many of the countries in the region among the most developed in the world. The Nordic–Baltic region is diverse, with a wealth of natural and cultural heritage, communities, destinations and resources. The region hosts a total of 42

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

sites that are experiencing increasing pressures from tourism. The Baltic states are described as three fascinating states that have glorious beaches along an extensive coastline, medieval old towns, and beautiful natural scenery, whereas the Nordic countries own spectacular scenery of mountains, lakes, archipelagos, glaciers, geysers, forests, waterfalls and volcanoes. There is much wilderness, including extensive arctic tundra.

Coordinating countries

The coordinator's role of the NB8 was formerly assumed by the country holding the chairmanship of the Nordic Council of Ministers for the respective year. From 2008 onwards, the Baltic States have been also involved in coordinating the NB8 foreign ministry co-operation. The coordinating country manages meeting schedules and hosts many meetings of different parties and levels in the NB8 format. Each year the coordinating country also issues a Progress Report. Coordination schedule: *

2020 *

2019 *

2018 *

2017 *

2016 *

2015 *

2014 *

2013 *

2012 *

2011 *

2010 *

2009 *

2008 In 2013 the task of NB8 coordination was transferred to

. As was assessed in a press release for the upcoming coordination by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the areas of focus were directed towards the following: 1. Focus on the Eastern Partnership and joint agenda for the NB8 before the EU-summit in Vilnius, November 2013. 2. Cooperation within energy as an area of mutual interests, especially as a monitor of energy-related issues within other forums. The task of arranging most of the NB8 meetings and events in Sweden was assigned to the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In 2014, NB8 coordinator was Estonia with priorities being cyber cooperation,

Eastern Partnership The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a joint initiative of the European External Action Service of the European Union (EU) together with the EU, its member states, and six Eastern European partners governing the EU's relationship with the post-Sovi ...

, energy cooperation, and security cooperation. In 2014 Estonia was also the coordinator for Baltic Cooperation and

Council of the Baltic Sea States The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) is a regional intergovernmental organisation working on three priority areas: Regional Identity, Safe & Secure Region and Sustainable & Prosperous Region. These three priority areas aim to address ...

. Coordination of these three formats was named as the
Baltic Sea Year
. In 2015, Denmark's NB8 priorities are energy security, media in relation to Russian-speakers, the Ukraine conflict and the Eastern Partnership. Baltic and Nordic Cooperation Year - Latvia - 2016

Baltic and Nordic Cooperation Year - Latvia - 2016

In 2016, Latvia's NB8 priorities were the strengthening of security (including strengthening of energy security, promotion of strategic communication, reinforcing cyber security, fight against hybrid threats) and support for the EU

. In 2017, the coordinating country was

. The priorities were set in regional issues (regional security, hybrid and resilience issues, cybersecurity, open and free media, strategic communication, energy security and energy markets, EU

, attention to the Estonian Presidency of the

Council of the EU The Council of the European Union, often referred to in the treaties and other official documents simply as the Council, and informally known as the Council of Ministers, is the third of the seven Institutions of the European Union (EU) as ...

, economic development, competitiveness and innovation, synergies among Nordic 5, NB6 and Nordic Council of Ministers). The other set of priorities was based in broader strategic issues (transatlantic relations (

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, Euro-Atlantic bonds), the future of the

, ''Brexit'', migration, the Bratislava process), Russia, UN issues (including the

Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

) and terrorism. In 2020, Estonia coordinated both the NB8 as well as the

Baltic Council of Ministers The Baltic Council of Ministers (BCM) ( lt, Baltijos Ministrų Taryba, lv, Baltijas Ministru padome, et, Balti Ministrite Nõukogu) is an institution for intergovernmental cooperation between the Baltic states: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia estab ...

. Its priorities in both settings were regional security, including the Eastern Partnership, transatlantic relations; cyber cooperation; connectivity, including regional energy and transport projects and digital cooperation; climate change and environmental issues; and cultural and health cooperation.

NB8 format

On the political level, co-operation in the NB8 format is conducted primarily in the form of annual meetings of the Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers. The Foreign Ministers' meetings have taken place since 1993. In addition to the foreign ministers and prime ministers, other ministers and ministry officials also meet on a regular basis. In the realm of foreign policy, there are many meetings held in addition to the annual meeting of the foreign ministers. The secretaries general, political directors, and experts in various fields from the foreign ministries also get together regularly, and there are frequent meetings of diplomats in foreign representations within the NB8 format. During the recent years the Baltic and Nordic countries have developed a cohesive network of cooperation activities in political, military, economic, environmental, cultural and other aspects. After double the EU and

enlargement in 2004 the cooperation is becoming closer thereby activating the vast potential for development in the Baltic Sea region. Several examples of such evolved cooperation is the work of NB8 Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings and the creation of the common Nordic – Baltic education and research area. On 17 August 2010, the financial supervisory authorities, central banks, finance ministries and other relevant ministries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden signed a cross-border agreement on financial stability
The Nordic-Baltic Cooperation Agreement on Cross-border Financial Stability
enhanced cooperation by establishing routines and procedures for information sharing and coordination. The aim is to reduce the risk of a financial crisis spreading cross-border, and to enhance possibilities to reach an efficient crisis management. By signing the agreement, the public authorities in the Nordic and Baltic countries increase their preparedness to handle problems in cross-border banks. The NB8 countries are jointly represented in the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

and

International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...

. The Baltic states are members of the

Nordic Investment Bank The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) is an international financial institution founded in 1975 by the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). In 2005, the three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) also beca ...

. The Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia—have achieved an exceptional level of a trilateral co-operation, which, by its depth and intensity, can be compared to the Nordic co-operation. Three Baltic states have established the Baltic Council of Ministers as well as the Baltic Assembly, whereas the integration of the Nordic countries has achieved an unprecedented level in the past forty years since the Nordic Council of Ministers was established in 1971. Cooperation among the parliamentarians of the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council dates back to 1989. The Nordic Council of Ministers offices opened in the three Baltic capitals (

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the ...

and

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...

) in 1991 play a key role in the dynamic Nordic–Baltic co-operation.

Guidelines for the Nordic Council of Ministers' Co-operation with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from 2014

The Nordic Council of Ministers' co-operation with

and

is directed b
guidelines
agreed by the Nordic Ministers for Co-operation in July 2013 and adopted by the

in October 2013. These express a desire to develop Nordic-Baltic co-operation in areas of common interest and thus strengthen work towards political stability and a strong economy in the Baltic Sea Region. The Nordic Council of Ministers has a special interest in developing certain key areas which include the following central themes in particular: * Education, research and innovation * Business, cluster co-operation and creative industries * The environment,

climate and energy In the 21st century, the earth's climate and its energy policy interact and their relationship is studied and governed by a variety of national and international institutions. The relationships between energy-resource depletion, climate change, ...

, including environmental conditions in the Baltic Sea and the promotion of effective environmental technologies and renewable sources of energy * The international challenges faced by welfare societies. Possible areas of co-operation include combating human trafficking and the spread of HIV/AIDS; improving co-operation between police forces and public prosecution services; developing hospital services; and addressing demographic challenges in relation to, e.g. labour-market policy. * Cross-border regional co-operation to promote joint fundamental values, such as democracy, good governance, gender equality, freedom of speech and tolerance – both under Nordic–Baltic auspices and in relation to other neighbouring countries, including Belarus.

NB8 Wise Men Report

During the co-ordination of the co-operation among the NB-8 Foreign Ministries in 2012,

initiated the preparation of a comprehensive analysis and recommendation how to advance the Nordic-Baltic co-operation. Latvia, presiding over the Baltic Council of Ministers in 2010, and Denmark, chairman of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2010, nominated two high level representatives (rapporteurs) – former Latvian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mr

Valdis Birkavs Valdis Birkavs (born July 28, 1942) is a Latvian politician. He was born in Riga. Birkavs attended the University of Latvia, where he studied philosophy, sociology, law, psychology and mathematical logic. He was first elected to the Latvian parl ...

representing the Baltic countries and former Danish Minister of Defense Mr

Søren Gade Søren Gade Jensen (born 27 January 1963) is a Danish politician who has been Speaker of the Folketing since November 2022, representing the Liberal party, Venstre. He was a Liberal member of the Folketing from 2001 to 2019 and again in 2022. ...

representing the Nordic countries – to provide the respective analysis. Before compiling the NB8 Co-operation Report
NB8 Wise Men Report
, which was completed in August 2010, the rapporteurs made a very intensive consultation process with representatives from all the NB8 countries. Practical implementation of the Wise Men's 38 recommendations is ongoing. Concrete suggestions were made in the following fields: * Foreign political dialogue. * Cooperation on diplomatic representations. * Civil security, including cyber security. * Defense cooperation. * Energy. * The NB8 brand. The Birkavs - Gade report with the initial recommendations has been presented for the NB8 Ministerial meeting in Helsinki on 26–27 August 2011. A number of other Birkavs - Gade report recommendations have been or are being implemented consecutively.

Reinforced diplomatic cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic countries

One of the Birkavs - Gade recommendations proposed that sharing diplomatic facilities is a way of increasing diplomatic representation in parts of the world where budgetary constraints and priorities would otherwise have prevented such representation. At the same time extended cooperation in this field could also contribute to making NB8 cooperation more visible. More should therefore be done in the area of joint diplomatic representation. A first step could be the setting up of an informal clearing house where the NB8 countries could share information about opportunities for housing other NB8 countries' diplomats. On 30 August 2011 the Nordic and Baltic Ministers of Foreign Affairs signed
Memorandum of Understanding
on the posting of diplomats at each other's missions abroad. The Memorandum made it easier for the Nordic and Baltic countries to maintain a diplomatic presence around the world by enabling flexible and cost-effective solutions. This reinforced diplomatic cooperation coincided with the twentieth anniversary of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania regaining their freedom and re-establishing diplomatic relations with other countries. The memorandum regulates the diplomatic and practical aspects of posting diplomats to the mission abroad of another Nordic or Baltic country.

NB6 - cooperation among Nordic and Baltic EU Member States

Since 1 May 2004, six Nordic and Baltic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) are the

members. Regular informal NB6 Prime Ministers' meetings on EU matters take place on the eve of Council meetings as well as Foreign Affairs Ministers of these six countries meet on the eve of

General Affairs Council The General Affairs Council is a configuration of the Council of the European Union and meets once a month. Meetings bring together the Foreign Ministers of the Member States. Ministers responsible for European Affairs also participate depending o ...

and

Foreign Affairs Council The Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) is a configuration of the Council of the European Union that convenes once a month. Meetings bring together the foreign ministers of the member states. Ministers responsible for European affairs, defence, developm ...

meetings.

Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (e-PINE)

Launched in 2003, e-PINE is a format in which the NB8 and the United States Political Directors of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs meet. Cooperation takes place in three major areas: cooperative security, healthy societies and vibrant economies.

Northern Future Forum

The Northern Future Forum is an annual, informal meeting of Prime Ministers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and business leaders from the nine nations of

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. Initially referred to as UK-Nordic-Baltic Summit, the name Northern Future Forum was introduced at the second meeting in Stockholm. Northern Future Forum has been hosted in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

(2011),

Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...

(2012),

(2013),

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

(2014), and in Reykjavik (2015). In 2016, it was planned to hold the event in Stavanger, Norway, but it was postponed to take place in 2017.

NB8 and Visegrad Group

NB8 and Visegrad Group countries (

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

) Ministers of Foreign Affairs have been meeting since 2013. The first meeting was held in Gdansk, Poland. In 2014 the ministers met in

Narva Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru county, at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia international border. With 5 ...

, Estonia; in 2015 - in High Tatras at

Štrbské Pleso Štrbské pleso (, german: Tschirmer See, pl, Szczyrbskie jezioro, hu, Csorbató or ) is a picturesque mountain lake of glacial origin and a top tourist destination in the High Tatras, Slovakia. It is the second-largest glacial lake on the Sl ...

, Slovakia. In 2016, the meeting was held on the shore of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

in the city of

Jūrmala Jūrmala (; "seaside") is a state city in Latvia, about west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River. It has a stretch of white-sand beach, and a population of 49,325 in 2019 ...

, Latvia. In 2017, the meeting was planned to take place in spring in Poland.

Strategic partners

* Nordic Council of Ministers * Baltic Assembly *

References

External links

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark

Estonian Ministry Of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iceland

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden

The Nordic Council of Ministers' and the Nordic Council
{{DEFAULTSORT:NB8 Nord Baltic Eight Baltic organizations International organizations based in Europe Nordic organizations 1992 establishments in Europe Intergovernmental organizations