Minister of State for Europe Günter Gloser will attend the Council of the Baltic Sea States Ministerial in the Danish city of Helsingør on 3 and 4 June 2009. The aim of the meeting is to set the course possibilities for future cooperation in the Baltic region.

The talks in Helsingør will focus on drawing up a joint position of the member states of the Council of the Baltic Sea States on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, which will be a prime concern of the forthcoming Swedish EU Presidency. The Ministers will also exchange views on the current state of play in the fields of energy/climate, environmental protection, youth and civil security, all major focuses of CBSS cooperation. The German Government has submitted proposals for the establishment of expert groups on maritime policy and maritime industries.

The Council of the Baltic Sea States was founded in 1992 on the initiative of the Foreign Ministers of Germany and Denmark. It has since evolved into a broad network of international cooperation in virtually all spheres affecting the Baltic. Its membership comprises all nine countries which border the Baltic, as well as the EU Commission, Norway and Iceland. Germany will hold the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States from mid-2011 till mid-2012.