Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Lithuania, Security

This year, the Munich Security Conference will discuss the new energy security parameters, the establishment of security community in Europe, the financial crisis and its impact on international security, nuclear disarmament, the future of the European Union and NATO, and the situation in the Middle East. Each year, the Munich Security Conference brings together world leaders and opinion makers to discuss topical issues of international security. This year, the event will also be attended by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Presidents of Poland, Georgia, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kosovo, foreign ministers and defence ministers from many EU, NATO and other countries.

A ceremony is also to be held in Munich, during which Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Azubalis will confer the award of honour of Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Lithuanian Diplomacy Star – on human rights defender and one of the founders of the Helsinki Group Eitan Finkelstein and first German Ambassador to Lithuania Gottfried Albrecht.

On 5 February, in Plon, Northern Germany, the Minister will take part in the foreign ministers meeting of the Baltic Sea states dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the CBSS. The meeting will also focus on prospects of further activities. The event will begin with a solemn ceremony, during which the founders of the organization – then-German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and then-Danish Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen – are to give speeches. The event is co-organised by the Federal Government of Germany, the administration of Schleswig-Holstein, and annual regional media forum The Baltic Media Forum.

After the ceremony, eleven Foreign Ministers of the Baltic Sea States and a representative of the European Commission will have an informal dinner to discuss issues that are important for the organization, such as ensuring energy security in the region and possibilities for the development of cooperation projects in the South-eastern Baltic region with a special emphasis on the Kaliningrad region. The meeting is also expected to adopt a declaration of the ministers on ensuring energy security in the region.