On the 20th of January 2021, 10:00 – 12:00, the Nordic Council of Ministers and Oxford Research hosts a webinar on Nordic-Baltic co-operation “Nordic-Baltic co-operation at a crossroad”.
In 1991 the Nordic Council of Ministers established local offices in all three Baltic states to support democracy and state-building in the newly independent countries. Three decades later the offices are still there, and the cooperation is characterized by a multitude of activities involving a variety of different partners in the Baltic and the Nordic countries.
The overall objective for the Nordic Council of Ministers’ support to Nordic-Baltic co-operation is to contribute to a stable and prosperous Baltic Sea region. Over the last 30 years Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the whole Baltic Sea Region has experienced a substantial development in terms of economic development and integration in macro-regional and European co-operation. In recent years, however, the development has been challenged in terms of democratic development, migration, geo-political tensions and the Covid-19 situation.
How can the Nordic-Baltic relations develop in a dynamic context and in possible new priorities? How can political stability and economic development be promoted through Nordic-Baltic co-operation? How can countries in the region learn from each other, when facing sometimes similar, sometimes diverging societal challenges? How can the new vision 2030 for the Nordic Council of Ministers, with its focus on green development, competitiveness and socially sustainable development, be instrumental in the process? How can we benefit from the exchange of culture, ideas and best practices? And what are the relevant barriers to be addressed? These and many other questions will be addressed at a webinar.
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Program:
10:00-10:10 – Welcome and introduction by Jonas Wendel, Chief of Staff, Secretary General’s Office and moderator Dr. Kim Hannemann Møller, owner of Oxford Group.
10:10-10.40 – 1st panel: Socio-economic development and co-operation
Mr. Erkki Tuomioja, Member of the Finnish Parliament and the Presidium of the Nordic Council on regional co-operation and economic progress
Mr. Helge Pedersen, Group chief economist in Nordea, on economic Outlook and co-operation in the region.
Mrs. Trine Villumsen Berling, Danish Institute for International Studies on Nordic-Baltic energy networks and co-operation
10:40-11:00 – Q&A session
11:00-11:30 – 2nd panel: Potentials for future co-operation
Mrs. Žydrūnė Vitaitė, Co-founder of Women Go Tech, on benefits of Nordic-Baltic co-operation and exchange.
Mr. Mart Laidmets, Secretary General Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, on education and research co-operation in the Nordic-Baltic region.
Mrs. Gunta Sloga Executive director Baltic Center for Media Excellence on Nordic-Baltic co-operation for regional media development
11:30-11:50 – Q&A session
11:50-12:00 – Closure
