Declaration of the Conference of the Culture Ministers of the Baltic Sea Countries :: Riga
(2008 10 15 23:32)
The Ministers for Culture of the Baltic Sea States (BSS) met for the 8th Conference Future of Culture in the Baltic Sea Region in Riga, held at the Reval Hotel Latvija on 17 October 2008. The BSS ministers gathered for their first conference in Sweden, in 1993 when it was a significant political event in the then geopolitical situation in Europe.
The Ministers concluded the conference with adopting the document entitled "Riga Declaration" (download)
The 8th Conference of the Ministers for Culture of the Baltic Sea States was attended by ministers for culture, ministerial representatives and cultural experts from Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland, the Russian Federation, Sweden, as well as representatives from the Nordic Council of Ministers, the European Commission and the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), in order to discuss the challenges of the 21st century to culture and cooperation prospects in the Baltic Sea region.
In the round-table discussions the ministers for culture discussed the role of culture in promoting the identity of the Baltic Sea region and strengthening competitiveness of the region within Europe and beyond. During the discussions debates were held on new cooperation initiatives, for instance, digitalisation of cultural heritage and development of creative industries.
During the meeting other subjects were also diccussed i.e. the prospects and possible forms of cultural cooperation among the states of the Baltic Sea region in the context of reforms in the CBSS activities, inter alia the future framework for organisation of such conferences.
Other themes for discussion included the latest EU political initiatives for the Baltic Sea region – the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea region and the Northern Dimension Policy.
Between July 2007 and June 2008 Latvia was the CBSS presiding country. At the end of the Latvian presidency, on 4 June 2008, the Baltic Sea States Heads of Government Summit working session adopted a declaration on the reform of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), in which the long-term priorities of the organisation are defined, Among these prorities culture is set as one of the areas of future cooperation, emphasising its important role in preservation of heritage, promotion of regional identity, development of creative industries and cultural tourism. The government leaders highly appreciated the cooperation within the Ars Baltica network and the Monitoring Group of Cultural Heritage of the Baltic Sea States, the planned cultural cooperation within the North Dimension, the idea for the Baltic Sea Festival and the cultural and public diplomacy project Balticness organised by the Latvian Presidency of the CBSS.
The 8th Conference of the Ministers for Culture of the Baltic Sea States Future of Culture in the Baltic Sea Region was organised in support of the declaration adopted in June 4, 2008.
The previous ministerial conference was held in Bergen (Norway), in 2005, and its main theme was Common Sea – Common Culture.
On the basis of information prepared by
Dace Vizule, Public Relations Specialist, Ministry of Culture of Latvia