As part of the Baltic Sea Days at the Federal Foreign Office, the Business Forum on the Baltic Sea Region on 24 April is focusing on the region’s major economic potential. Foreign Minister Westerwelle will open the conference at 9 a.m. in the Weltsaal of the Federal Foreign Office. Representatives of the media are invited to take part in the opening ceremony and a subsequent podium discussion with businesspeople (until approx. 11 a.m.).

The exchange of knowledge, goods and services around the Baltic Sea Region is more intensive than almost anywhere else in Europe. German enterprises work together closely with partners from other countries on the Baltic, from Russia to Poland to Sweden. As the current President of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, Foreign Minister Westerwelle will identify the opportunities which European integration and globalization offer to this dynamic region.

The Business Forum on the Baltic Sea Region is a part of the Baltic Sea Days series of events. From 23 to 25 April, celebrations, conferences, exhibitions, and readings will make tangible and pay tribute to the intensive ties between Germany and the other countries bordering the Baltic Sea. The Council of the Baltic Sea States is celebrating its twentieth anniversary as a platform of political cooperation this year.