Baltic Assembly

The Baltic Assembly (BA) is a regional organisation that promotes intergovernmental cooperation between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. It attempts to find a common position in relation to many international issues, including economic, political and cultural issues. The decisions of the assembly are advisory.

Coat of arms
Member states of the Baltic Assembly (green).
HeadquartersRiga
Largest cityRiga
Working languages
TypeIntergovernmental organization
Membership
Leaders
• Secretary General
Marika Laizāne-Jurkāne
• Secretariat
Agnija Antanoviča
• Secretary of the Estonian Delegation
Regina Sepp
• Secretary of the Latvian Delegation
Ingrīda Sticenko
• Secretary of the Lithuanian Delegation
Renata Godfrey
History
• Baltic Assembly established
1 December 1990
• Baltic Assembly regulations approved
8 November 1991
• Baltic Assembly structure and rules agreement
13 June 1994
• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania join NATO
29 March 2004
• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania join European Union
1 May 2004
Area
• Total
173,116 km2 (66,840 sq mi)
Population
• 2020 estimate
6,043,273
• Density
34.9/km2 (90.4/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2020 estimate
• Total
 $219 billion[1][2][3]
GDP (nominal)2020 estimate
• Total
 $124 billion[1][2][3]
CurrencyEuro (EUR)
32nd session of the Baltic Assembly meeting in Riga

The budget of the BA is funded by the three member's governments. The official languages of the Baltic Assembly are Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian. The headquarters and secretariat of the organization are located in Riga, Latvia.

History

Background

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were independent states since 1918 after the fall of the Russian Empire. During the outbreak of World War II, under the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, they were illegally annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. This occupation continued for fifty years.

Under Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, the policies of glasnost and perestroika has led to the restoration of independence between 1990 and 1991 which led the three countries to break away. The Soviet Union itself recognised the independence of the restored Baltic states on 6 September 1991 before its dissolution later that year.[4]

Formation

The organisation was formed after a decision to establish it was made in Vilnius on 1 December 1990. It works under regulations approved on 8 November 1991 in Tallinn.[5] On 13 June 1994 the three nations agreed to the structure and rules of the organization.[6]

Achievements

The BA claims the following as its achievements between 1991 and 2003:[7]

  • Withdrawal of Russian troops from the member States,
  • Formation of the Baltic Council of Ministers as an institution of governmental co-operation,
  • Development of common Baltic economic, educational and information technology policies,
  • Harmonisation of legislation in conformity with requirements of the European Union,
  • Improvement of border-crossing procedures,
  • The establishment of the Baltic Assembly Prizes for Literature, the Arts and Science.

Cooperation with other Geopolitic-regions

In 2017 the Baltic Assembly, the Benelux and three of the members of the Nordic Council (Sweden, Denmark and Finland, all EU-member states), sought intensifying cooperation in the Digital Single Market, as well as discussing social matters, the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union, the European migrant crisis and defense cooperation. Relations with Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom was also on the agenda.[8]

Structure

The BA comprises sixty members. Each of the parliaments of the three States appoints twenty of its members to the Assembly. Each of the national parliaments appoints two of the members to be head and deputy head of the national delegation. The six head delegates and deputy head delegates form the BA's Presidium. The Chairman of the Praesidium is the head of the national delegation of the country hosting the next session of the BA. The heads of the other two national delegations are Vice Chairmen of the Presidium. The Preasidium controls the BA between sessions. The Chairman acts as the coordinator of the work of the BA, is its representative with other bodies and liaises with the three members’ governments.

Members
30th session of the Baltic Assembly meeting in Tallinn in 2011

Members of the Assembly:

Country name Arms Flag Membership Parliament Membership status Represented since EU relation NATO relation
Estonia full Riigikogu sovereign state 1991 member member
Latvia full Saeima sovereign state 1991 member member
Lithuania full Seimas sovereign state 1991 member member

Sessions
Council of EuropeSchengen AreaEuropean Free Trade AssociationEuropean Economic AreaEurozoneEuropean UnionEuropean Union Customs UnionAgreement with EU to mint eurosGUAMCentral European Free Trade AgreementNordic CouncilBaltic AssemblyBeneluxVisegrád GroupCommon Travel AreaOrganization of the Black Sea Economic CooperationUnion StateSwitzerlandIcelandNorwayLiechtensteinSwedenDenmarkFinlandPolandCzech RepublicHungarySlovakiaGreeceEstoniaLatviaLithuaniaBelgiumNetherlandsLuxembourgItalyFranceSpainAustriaGermanyPortugalSloveniaMaltaCyprusIrelandUnited KingdomCroatiaRomaniaBulgariaTurkeyMonacoAndorraSan MarinoVatican CityGeorgiaUkraineAzerbaijanMoldovaArmeniaRussiaBelarusSerbiaAlbaniaMontenegroNorth MacedoniaBosnia and HerzegovinaKosovo (UNMIK)
A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various multinational European organisations and agreements.

There are ordinary and extraordinary Sessions. The ordinary Session is convened once a year, as a concluding forum of a country's presidency, which proceeds according to a yearly rotation principle in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Before 2003 there were two Sessions a year – in spring and autumn, and countries - participants had half a year presidency.

Any national delegation may propose that an extraordinary session is held. On 8–9 February 1998 in Helsinki, Finland, following to the 2nd Joint Meeting of the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly, the first Extraordinary Session of the Baltic Assembly took place. The second Extraordinary Session of the Baltic Assembly was held on 27–29 April 2005 in Pärnu, Estonia, following to the 5th Joint Meeting of the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council.[9]

Committees

The following are the standing committees:

  • Budget and Audit
  • Communications and IT
  • Economic and Social Affairs
  • Education, Science, and Culture
  • Environment Protection and Energy
  • Legal
  • Security and Foreign Affairs

Each member of the BA participates in at least one committee.

Political groupings

The 20 members of the BA from each country are chosen so that their political make-up reflects the proportions within their home parliament. The members may then form cross-national party groupings of at least five members from at least two nations.[10]

Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature, the Arts, and Science
Main article: Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature, the Arts and Science

Since 1993, the Baltic Assembly gives out an award annually for achievements in literature, the arts, and science.

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See also

References
  1. "Estonia". International Monetary Fund. 2019.
  2. "Latvia". IMF.
  3. "Lithuania". International Monetary Fund.
  4. Hiden & Salmon (1994). p. 126.
  5. User, Super. "Baltic Assembly - Pre-History". baltasam.org.
  6. User, Super. "Baltic Assembly - International Inclusion". baltasam.org.
  7. "Baltic Assembly - History". baltasam.org.
  8. ERR (22 June 2017). "Ratas meets with Benelux, Nordic, Baltic leaders in the Hague".
  9. User, Super. "Baltic Assembly - Session". baltasam.org.
  10. User, Super. "Baltic Assembly - National Delegations". baltasam.org.
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