In order to strengthen cooperation and promote dialogue between the Baltic region and the Nordic countries, the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia together with the embassies of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, the Danish Cultural Institute and partners from Latvia have compiled a whole discussion program under a joint tent “Ziemeļsala” (“Nordic Island”) at the annual conversation festival LAMPA taking place on 9 and 10 June in Cēsis, Latvia. The program will consist of ten various events, covering themes that touch on the long-term vision of Nordic-Baltic cooperation.
In 2019, the Nordic governments agreed on a new long-term cooperation policy Nordic Vision 2030, with the ultimate goal of making the Nordic region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world. The question now is: how will current developments in Europe affect the viability of this vision?
"At a time when Europe has been shaken by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, regional cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region has become even more important. Now the Nordic and Baltic countries need to share experiences on how to make our societies more democratic, resilient, sustainable and tolerant - and more importantly, more united," says Stefan Eriksson, Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia.
The Nordic countries have been supporting LAMPA since its inception, but this year, by joining forces, the Nordic contribution will be particularly broad and diverse. The discussions arranged in the Nordic tent will cover topics such as the prospects for regional cooperation after 2022, democratic participation, the impact of war on women, emotional support for families, as well as urban agriculture, the introduction of a zero-waste approach in the HoReCa sector and the potential of wind energy in Latvia.
The discussions will bring together a wide range of experts not only from the Baltic and Nordic countries, but also from other nearby regions, including Ukraine. The panelists will include Karen Ellemann, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Raimonds Čudars, Latvian Minister of Climate and Energy, Kai Alhanen, philosopher and author of "Dialogues in Democracy" from Finland, Dr. Hilmar Þór Hilmarsson, professor at the Akureyri University (Iceland), Ukrainian artists Maria Zenkova and Daria Kalashnikova, and many others.
The event and discussion program in its entirety, including the participants and speakers, can be found on the festival’s website: https://ej.uz/ziemelsala.
Please note that most of the discussions will be held in English. Some of the panel discussions will also be broadcast live and can be followed on our social media channels. Stay tuned!
