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OO RUEHAG RUEHLN
DE RUEHCP #0282/01 1701040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191040Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5017
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 9020
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 5575
RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK 0487
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 3902
RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN 1550
RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 0868
RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 1662
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 2123
RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 0351
RUEHAG/AMCONSUL HAMBURG 0067

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COPENHAGEN 000282 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PREL AORC ZB XZ DA
SUBJECT:  DENMARK HOSTS COUNCIL OF BALTIC SEA STATES MINISTERIAL 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Baltic region officials decided to continue 
efforts to make the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) more focused 
on concrete projects to integrate the region's energy infrastructure 
and promote other links at a ministerial meeting on June 4 hosted by 
Denmark as outgoing CBSS president.  Participants anticipated a 
Baltic region strategy soon to be released by the European 
Commission, and urged implementation of the EU Baltic energy 
interconnection plan and the Helsinki Commission Environmental 
Action Plan.  Belarus, Spain and Romania were admitted as observers, 
joining the U.S. and others.  The next CBSS Summit will be hosted by 
Lithuania in the summer of 2010.  Observer states are not 
customarily invited to the biennial summits.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) Background:  REO observed the Council of Baltic Sea States 
ministerial meeting hosted by Denmark and held in Helsingor, 
Denmark, on June 4.  The CBSS is a political forum for 
inter-governmental cooperation among the 11 Baltic sea states and 
the European Commission, created in Copenhagen in 1992.  Since 1998, 
the CBSS has been supported by a permanent secretariat based in 
Stockholm.  The CBSS presidency rotates among member states 
annually, and is capped by biennial summits or ministerial meetings. 
 The last heads of state summit took place in Riga in June 2008. 
CBSS member states include Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, 
Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweden. 
Observer states included the U.S., France, Italy, Slovakia, 
Netherlands, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. 
 
¶3.  (U) The biennial ministerial meeting, hosted by Danish FM 
Moeller as Denmark concluded its one-year presidency and prepares to 
pass the baton to Lithuania in July, was attended by Russian FM 
Lavrov, Norwegian FM Stoere, Estonian FM Paet, Icelandic FM 
Skarphedinsson, Latvian FM Riekstins, and Lithuanian FM Usackas. 
Finland was represented by its European Affairs Minister, Germany by 
its Minister for State for Europe, Poland by its Undersecretary of 
State, and Sweden by its State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and 
the EC by its Vice President, Siim Kallas.  A press conference was 
held afterwards with statements by officials recorded, but no 
independent press appeared to be present or questions asked. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Highlights: General 
----------------------------- 
 
-- A 15th Ministerial Session Declaration was agreed upon and issued 
(available at the CBSS website at http://www.cbss.org/ 
Summits-and-Council-Ministerials). 
 
-- The Helsingor Declaration highlights progress made in the areas 
of CBSS reform, external cooperation, environment, economic 
development, energy, education and culture, civil security and the 
human dimension (including a CBSS task force against trafficking in 
human beings). 
 
-  Denmark reported success implementing the Riga summit reform 
agenda, intended to convert the CBSS from a political dialogue to 
one more focused on concrete cooperation projects.  This included 
revising the terms of reference of the CBSS and its Stockholm-based 
secretariat, which is funded jointly by all member states, according 
to formula. 
 
-  All members anticipated the submission within weeks by the EC to 
the Euro-parliament of a Baltic Sea strategy communication, and 
praised progress made on an EU-Baltic energy market interconnection 
plan, which all agreed should now be implemented. 
 
-  The EC representative said the Commission's much anticipated 
Baltic strategy would be released within weeks, and would create no 
new institutions and involve existing funds only.  Five billion 
Euros from the EU recovery plan would offer some initial resources 
for projects to improve the environment, promote balanced 
development, and make the region safer and more secure, and more 
attractive to tourists. 
 
-  Several member states noted the importance of streamlining 
regional cooperation, while welcoming the imminent EC strategy to an 
existing Baltic institutional framework, consisting of the EU's 
Baltic energy interconnection plan and the 2007 Helsinki Commission 
on the Environment (HELCOM) Action Plan on the Baltic Sea 
environment. 
 
-- FM Lavrov cited Russian priorities in small business creation, 
innovative development, and the Baltic Sea environment, noting 
Russia is current president of HELCOM. 
 
COPENHAGEN 00000282  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
-  Germany offered to chair a new expert group on maritime traffic. 
 
-- Sweden noted its 650,000 Euro contribution to the work of the 
anti-TIP task force and praised the contribution of the nuclear and 
radiation safety expert group.  Sweden reported that Latvia, 
Lithuania and Sweden are currently developing an energy 
interconnection by cable under the Baltic Sea.  As incoming EU 
President, Sweden will work for the adoption of the EU Baltic Sea 
strategy communication. 
 
-- Iceland expressed appreciation for regional solidarity in this 
time of financial crisis, announced its government's intention to 
request the permission of its parliament to apply to join the EU 
(Denmark immediately offered its support), and noted Icelandic 
expertise in geothermal energy. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Highlights:  Observer Issues 
-------------------------------------- 
 
-  Belarus, Spain and Romania were admitted as observers, joining 
the U.S., France, Italy, Slovakia, Netherlands, Ukraine, and the 
United Kingdom.  Poland welcomed the three new observer states, and 
said the door to full membership should stay open but all must meet 
democratic and human rights standards. 
 
-- The CBSS secretariat will organize a meeting with observer state 
representatives in Stockholm in October.  They will invite Embassy 
Stockholm to send representatives to that meeting to discuss how 
observer states can become more involved with CBSS projects and 
expert groups. 
 
- Decisions on the applications of Belarus and France to become full 
members were deferred.  (SBU Note:  President Sarkozy's request for 
France to become a full CBSS member may involve an attempt at 
regional balancing of its Mediterranean initiative.  End Note.) 
 
-- In a post-ministerial session with observer states, REO expressed 
USG appreciation to the Danish hosts, and to the CBSS for our 
observer status; we follow inter-governmental cooperation in the 
region with interest. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Highlights: Energy/Climate Issues 
------------------------------------------- 
 
-  The Lithuanian FM cited the Nordstream undersea Baltic gas 
pipeline project as an example of one which divides rather than 
unites the region.  In contrast, FM Lavrov praised the project as 
providing energy security to Europe and adhering to "strict 
(environmental) standards."  He expressed surprise at "artificial 
complaints" by "some (unspecified) countries." 
 
- Denmark emphasized the success of the Baltic Sea Region Energy 
Cooperation (BASREC) ministerial conference in February, where it 
was decided that BASREC would produce a statement on climate and 
energy issues to the COP-15 climate conference in Copenhagen in 
December. 
 
-- The Norwegian and Danish FMs highlighted energy "greening" 
efforts (with the Norwegian touting carbon capture and storage 
(CCS), the Dane wind power) in the plenary session.  Moeller 
stressed the technologies are "already in place to meet stronger 
targets (at COP-15)," with the exception of CCS. 
 
-- FM Stoere said the recent CCS conference in Bergen would provide 
important input to COP-15.  Norway's goal is to become an exporter 
of emissions-free gas fired electric power.  He also noted that 
Norway will bring to COP-15 a message of urgency from the recent 
Tromso Arctic meetings on the need to reduce emissions of short 
lived climate forcers like black carbon (soot), tropospheric ozone, 
and methane. 
 
- At the request of CBSS, Danish energy official Hans Jorgen Koch 
organized a parallel seminar to highlight a study on creating a 
northern European "Green Valley" involving energy infrastructure 
interconnections, energy efficiency gains (including modernization 
of existing inefficient coal plants), deployment of more renewable 
energy and carbon sequestration and storage technologies, and 
rehabilitation of existing district heating installations. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Looking Ahead 
----------------------- 
 
COPENHAGEN 00000282  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
-  Lithuania will assume the Presidency of the CBSS for the next 
year on July 1.  Lithuanian FM Usackas noted that while initially 
the Baltic states were leery of regional groupings like the CBSS as 
a potential diversion from full EU and NATO membership, "we are now 
more mature" about regional cooperation and indeed wish to expand 
it. 
 
-- FM Usackas said Lithuania's priorities for its CBSS presidency 
include a focus on sharing innovation; cross-border cooperation, and 
clean environment and safe living conditions for Baltic Sea 
residents.  Encouraging more active participation by observer states 
as well as integrating the Kaliningrad region (Poland also voiced 
support for this) and Belarus into CBSS activities were also 
priorities.  The Lithuanian government would host an international 
conference on radiation protection and nuclear safety in Vilnius on 
September 24, and conferences on Baltic Sea fish stocks and control 
and prevention of trafficking in persons in the first half of 2010. 
 
-- The next CBSS Summit will be hosted by Lithuania in the summer of 
¶2010.  Observer states are not customarily invited to the biennial 
summits, we were told, but the decision would be Lithuania's. 
 
-- FM Usackas said Lithuania would like to reduce border crossing 
times and add Russian citizens of Kaliningrad to a visa-free regime. 
 Russian FM Lavrov and echoed this goal in his intervention. 
 
-- FM Lavrov expressed concern the CBSS had not attracted greater 
international collaboration.  He suggested adding another meeting to 
the annual ministerial/head of state summit cycle, to be held at the 
deputy ministerial level.  He also proposed CBSS make more effort to 
reach out to other regional groupings, including the Barents Council 
and the EU's Northern Dimension.  Russia offered to host such an 
outreach meeting.  FM Moeller responded by calling Lavrov's proposal 
"interesting," noting it would be for Lithuania to resolve as 
incoming President. 
 
MCCULLEY