Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian parliamentarians convened for the 44th Session of the Baltic Assembly on 14 November at the Saeima building to discuss the current affairs in cooperation of the Baltic States and define the priorities for 2026. Promoting regional security and resilience through coordinated strategies was defined as the main priority in Baltic cooperation. Other priorities include strong physical, digital, and energy connectivity, as well as innovation-driven regional competitiveness. Latvia is the presiding state of the Baltic Assembly in 2025.
“Only through cooperation and pooling of resources can we face today’s challenges and enhance the prosperity of our countries and the region,” highlighted Jānis Vucāns, President of the Baltic Assembly and Chair of the Latvian delegation, during his address at the Session.
Baltic parliamentarians elected Timo Suslov, Vice-President and Chair of the Estonian delegation, to become the President of the Baltic Assembly. The 2026 annual Session of the BA will be held in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.
The priorities for cooperation between the Baltic Assembly and the Baltic Council of Ministers for 2026 include regional security, including food security and the resilience of supply chains, cross-border connectivity, including Rail Baltica and the protection of critical infrastructure, as well as comprehensive and continuous support for Ukraine at all levels.
During the Session, a Resolution was adopted, restating firm condemnation of the unprovoked and unjustified Russian aggression against Ukraine, highlighting Russia’s disregard for international law and threats to European security, as well as reiterating that the security of Ukraine can best be guaranteed by membership of the European Union and NATO. The Resolution also urges the Member States of the European Union and NATO to unite all means of support to stop Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, thereby defending the Ukrainian people from further horrors of this war.
The Resolution also emphasises the importance of enhanced defence cooperation between the Baltic States and their partners in the Baltic Sea, Benelux, and Nordic countries in countering conventional, cyber, and hybrid threats.
In its Resolution, the Baltic Assembly also restates the crucial role of allied deterrence and defence strategies in the region, emphasising the need for a permanent presence of U.S. forces. It also stressed the need to focus on the Eastern Partnership and other countries that are struggling in their pursuit of democracy. Baltic parliamentarians stated that supporting the efforts of these countries is both a moral obligation and an investment in global peace and stability.
The Resolution emphasises that the cooperation of the Baltic States must be well-equipped to address present challenges and future uncertainties, and serve as a model of unity in an increasingly complex world. In the Resolution, Members of the Baltic Assembly have included recommendations to enhance cooperation of the Baltic States in defence, cybersecurity, energy, transport connectivity, environmental sustainability, healthcare and improved access to medicines, education, as well as culture and science.
Information about the Baltic Assembly:
The Baltic Assembly is an inter-parliamentary cooperation organisation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania established on 8 November 1991. The Baltic Assembly consists of national delegations—12 to 16 members from each country’s parliament. It is a coordinating and consultative organisation that has a right to express its opinion to the national parliaments and governments of the Baltic States, as well as the Baltic Council of Ministers, in the form of resolutions, decisions, declarations, and recommendations; it also has a right to request the above-mentioned bodies to provide information on cross-border issues that are high on the Baltic Assembly’s agenda.
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Saeima Press Service