Meeting at the Vihula manor east of Tallinn, the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urged the European Union to adopt additional sanctions “to weaken Moscow’s ability to wage its aggressive war.”
Poland will assume the council’s rotating chair from Estonia in mid-2025.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the unstable security environment made it necessary to “put regional safety at the heart of the CBSS.”
He cited Tuesday’s incident in which Estonia’s navy escorted the Gabon-flagged tanker Jaguar, linked to Russia’s sanctions-evading oil trade, out of the Gulf of Finland. A Russian Su-35 fighter briefly violated NATO airspace during the episode.
The ministers’ joint statement warned that the “shadow fleet” posed serious risks to maritime safety, fiber-optic cables and gas pipelines, as well as environmental hazards from potential spills or detonation of munitions dumped in the Baltic after World War Two.
They called for “decisive action” against vessels that refuse inspection or sail with disabled transponders, but stressed the CBSS would complement—not replace—NATO, which remains “the primary security guarantor” for the region.
Founded in 1992, the CBSS groups all Baltic littoral countries plus the European Commission.
Russia was suspended after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and later announced it was quitting the body altogether.
(jh)
Source: PAP