Germany holds the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States for the 2011/2012 term. The CBSS serves as a platform for political cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. As the current President of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, Foreign Minister Westerwelle opened the Business Forum on the Baltic Sea Region in Berlin on April 24.

Enlarge image Foreign Minister Westerwelle opens the Business Forum on the Baltic Sea Region. (© Federal Foreign Office)

Westerwelle stated that the prime focus of the German CBSS Presidency was to advance and intensify contact between the Baltic Sea countries.

Westerwelle emphasized the development of the Baltic Sea Region in past decades: "Right up to 1989 the Baltic was a sea divided by the Iron Curtain, a part of Europe increasingly marginalized by Cold War tensions. Not until the achievement of German unity and European reunification was the Baltic transformed from a sea of confrontation to a sea of freedom and cooperation."

Baltic Sea Days from April 23 to 27

Enlarge image Exhibition '20 Years of the Council of the Baltic Sea States' (© Federal Foreign Office)

The Business Forum on the Baltic Sea Region is just one of the events taking place during the Baltic Sea Days. From April 23 to 27, celebrations, exhibitions, readings and conferences covering the entire spectrum of relations between Germany and its CBSS partners will be held, bringing to life the close and wide-ranging ties between CBSS countries.

The Council of the Baltic Sea States is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. It has provided crucial support to the eastern member states as they moved towards democracy and a market economy. The exhibition "20 years of the Council of the Baltic Sea States" in the atrium of the Federal Foreign Office presents the broad spectrum of Baltic Sea cooperation projects in the 20 years since it was founded in 1992. It illustrates how important the CBSS has been and still is for bringing the region closer together.

Enlarge image Wind farm on the Baltic Sea (© picture-alliance/dpa)

The Baltic Sea Crime Fiction Festival at the Foreign Office shows that the High North can be a source of great suspense. Well-known crime novelists from Scandinavia will read from their books. The event will conclude with the German premiere of a film adaptation.

Conferences on numerous topics such as combating climate change, research cooperation projects and a joint virtual history book are being held. The program will be rounded off by meetings with international experts, a dialogue between parliamentarians from Baltic Sea countries and a youth forum.