Baltic Assembly

Member states of the Baltic Assembly (green).
Headquarter Latvia Riga, Latvia
Largest city Latvia Riga, Latvia
Working languages
Type Intergovernmental organization
Membership
Leaders
• Secretary General
 Latvia Dr. Marika Laizāne-Jurkāne
• Secretariat
 Latvia Anete Kalnāja
• Secretary of the Estonian Delegation
 Estonia Ene Rongelep
• Secretary of the Latvian Delegation
 Latvia Ingrīda Sticenko
• Secretary of the Lithuanian Delegation
 Lithuania Renata Godfrey
Establishment
• Baltic Assembly
 1991
Currency
Website
www.baltasam.org
32nd session of the Baltic Assembly meeting in Riga
30th session of the Baltic Assembly meeting in Tallinn in 2011

The Baltic Assembly (BA) is a regional organisation that promotes intergovernmental cooperation between the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. It attempts to find a common position in relation to many international issues, including economic, political and cultural issues. The decisions of the assembly are advisory.

The budget of the BA is funded by the three-member governments. The official languages of the Baltic Assembly are Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian. The headquarters and secretariat of the organization are located in Riga, Latvia.

History

Background

The Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were independent states since 1918 after the fall of the Russian Empire. During the outbreak of World War II, under the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, they were illegally annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and continued on for fifty years.

Under Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, the policies of glasnost and perestroika has led to the restoration of independence between 1990 and 1991 which led the Baltic republics to break away. The Soviet Union itself recognised the independence of the restored Baltic states on 6 September 1991 before its dissolution later that year.

Formation

The organisation was formed after a decision to establish it was made in Vilnius on 1 December 1990. It works under regulations approved on 8 November 1991 in Tallinn.[1] On 13 June 1994 the three nations agreed to the structure and rules of the organization.[2]

Achievements

Council of Europe Schengen Area European Free Trade Association European Economic Area Eurozone European Union European Union Customs Union Agreement with EU to mint euros GUAM Central European Free Trade Agreement Craiova Group EU Med Group Switzerland-Liechtenstein customs and monetary union Nordic-Baltic Eight Open borders with Schengen Nordic Council Baltic Assembly Benelux Visegrád Group Weimar Triangle Common Travel Area Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Union State Switzerland Iceland Norway Liechtenstein Sweden Denmark Finland Poland Czech Republic Hungary Slovakia Estonia Latvia Lithuania Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg Germany Austria Slovenia France Spain Portugal Italy Greece Malta Cyprus Ireland United Kingdom Croatia Romania Bulgaria Turkey Andorra Monaco San Marino Vatican City Moldova Ukraine Georgia Azerbaijan Armenia Russia Belarus Serbia Albania Macedonia Bosnia and Herzegovina Montenegro Kosovo (UNMIK) Kazakhstan
A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various multinational European organisations and agreements.
GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development Georgia (country) Azerbaijan Ukraine Moldova Tajikistan Turkmenistan Collective Security Treaty Organization Eurasian Economic Union Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan Armenia Union State Belarus Russia Commonwealth of Independent States Commonwealth of Independent States Free Trade Area Baltic Assembly Lithuania Latvia Estonia Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations Transnistria Abkhazia South Ossetia Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Euler diagram showing the relationships among various supranational organisations in the territory of the former Soviet Unionv • d • e

The BA claims the following as its achievements between 1991 and 2003:[3]

Structure

The BA comprises sixty members. Each of the parliaments of the three States appoints twenty of its members to the Assembly. Each of the national parliaments appoints two of the members to be head and deputy head of the national delegation. The six head delegates and deputy head delegates from the BA’s Presidium. The Chairman of the Praesidium is the head of the national delegation of the country hosting the next session of the BA. The heads of the other two national delegations are Vice Chairmen of the Presidium. The Preasidium controls the BA between sessions. The Chairman acts as the coordinator of the work of the BA, is its representative with other bodies and liaises with the three members’ governments.

Members

Members of the Assembly:

Country name Arms Flag Membership Parliament Membership statusRepresented sinceMembers EU relation NATO relation
Estonia Estonia full Riigikogu sovereign state 1991 European Union member NATO member
Latvia Latvia full Saeima sovereign state 1991 European Union member NATO member
Lithuania Lithuania full Seimas sovereign state 1991 European Union member NATO member

Sessions

There are ordinary and extraordinary Sessions. The ordinary Session is convened once a year, as a concluding forum of a country's presidency, which proceeds according to a yearly rotation principle in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Before 2003 there were two Sessions a year – in spring and autumn, and countries - participants had half a year presidency.

Any national delegation may propose that an extraordinary session is held. On 8-9 February 1998 in Helsinki, Finland, following to the 2nd Joint Meeting of the Nordic Council and the Baltic Assembly, the first Extraordinary Session of the Baltic Assembly took place. The second Extraordinary Session of the Baltic Assembly was held on 27-29 April 2005 in Parnu, Estonia, following to the 5th Joint Meeting of the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council. [4]

Committees

The following are the standing committees:

Each member of the BA participates in at least one committee.

Political groupings

The 20 members of the BA from each country are chosen so that their political make-up reflects the proportions within their home parliament. The members may then form cross-national party groupings of at least five members from at least two nations.[5]

As of 2006, the three political groupings are the Conservative-Right Party Group, the Centre Party Group, and the Social Democratic Party Group.

Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature, the Arts, and Science

Since 1993, the Baltic Assembly gives out an award annually for achievements in literature, the arts, and science.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ http://baltasam.org/en/history/pre-history
  2. ↑ http://baltasam.org/en/history/international-inclusion
  3. ↑ http://baltasam.org/en/history
  4. ↑ http://baltasam.org/en/structure/session
  5. ↑ http://baltasam.org/en/structure/national-delegations
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