Reykjavik, 27 August 2022 (TDI): President of Iceland hosted a Commemorative Ceremony marking the 31st anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the Baltic States on Friday.
A real pleasure and honour to welcome the presidents of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania – and Iceland in Viðey today. Important to strengthen relationships and friendships with our Baltic colleagues. pic.twitter.com/wow5x7Fz2e
— Katrín Jakobsdóttir (@katrinjak) August 26, 2022
The Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States signed documents recognizing the restoration of Independence and the establishment of diplomatic relations on 26 August 1991 at Höfði House in Reykjavik.
The President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, welcomed his Baltic colleagues.
A true pleasure to receive our Baltic friends in Iceland this evening for a long-awaited commemoration of three decades of re-established diplomatic relations between our nations 🇱🇻🇱🇹 🇪🇪 🇮🇸. Our bond is and shall continue to be exceptionally strong for years to come. pic.twitter.com/xIlGeubnsm
— President of Iceland (@PresidentISL) August 25, 2022
In the historic Höfði house, the Foreign Ministers of the states signed a joint declaration for our further strong & close cooperation.
Glad to be in #Iceland w/ good friends FMs 🇱🇻 @edgarsrinkevics 🇱🇹 @GLandsbergis & 🇮🇸 @thordiskolbrun to commemorate 31st anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations.
In historic Höfði house, we signed joint declaration for our further strong & close cooperation. pic.twitter.com/HBqaWlCvw4
— Urmas Reinsalu (@UrmasReinsalu) August 26, 2022
After the meeting, the President of Iceland gave a lecture at the University of Iceland titled as “Icebreaker on the International Scene? Icelandic Support for Baltic Independence, 1990-1991.”
Great lecture by @PresidentISL 🇮🇸 about diplomatic relations with the Baltic states and discussion with the three presidents 🇪🇪🇱🇹🇱🇻@uni_iceland pic.twitter.com/9sYagZTkaE
— Mārtiņš Klīve (@klive_m) August 26, 2022
Also Read: 31st Day of Restoration of Independence of Estonia
Discussions with the Baltic presidents followed it.
Baltic states signed a Joint Declaration
In the meeting, The Ministers affirmed their strong condemnation of Russia´s “unprovoked, unjustified, and unlawful war in Ukraine, which is in clear violation of international law and the UN Charter.”
Highlighting the “catastrophic impacts” of Russian aggression on Ukraine, the Ministers discussed the tremendous suffering of Ukraine’s civilian population and serious long-term geopolitical, economic, and humanitarian consequences worldwide.
The Foreign Ministers, on occasion, reaffirmed their political solidarity and their strong interest in cultivating mutual friendship, fostering bilateral trade and connectivity, and enhancing international cooperation.
In addition, they underline their unwavering commitment to multilateralism, rules-based international order, protection and promotion of human rights and democracy, and the rule of law.
They also underlined their transatlantic bond, which has remained the cornerstone of security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic Area. They also discussed the importance of security and defense cooperation between the Baltic states.
The countries are close allies within NATO – the strongest collective defense Alliance – and true partners in European political and economic cooperation and the international arena.
The Ministers also supported free trade and the important role of the World Trade Organization in advancing a resilient and strong rules-based multilateral trading system.
Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, and Lithuania are close partners in Europe within the framework of the European Economic Area.
They also welcomed strong cooperation on economic and development issues at the OECD. They further welcomed the growing contacts between businesses, startup communities, and digital leaders in the countries.
Moreover, they highlighted the importance of vibrant cross-cultural exchange and extensive people-to-people contacts.
Highlighting the ever-increasing Climate change, the Ministers showed their commitment to working together to mitigate climate change.
That includes presenting sustainable, green energy solutions, carbon capture and removal, other green technologies, and nature-based solutions at home and globally.
