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For the first time in Lithuania, the Baltic Development Forum (BDF) Summit, also called “The Baltic Davos”, will be held on 1-2 June. Influential personalities from business, politics and academic community will gather to discuss the current economic situation and possibilities to improve it, the European Union’s policy in the Baltic Sea region, and will search for mutual cooperation opportunities.

This year’s Forum session in Vilnius “European Challenges – Regional Solutions: An Agenda for Jobs, Investments and Sustainable Growth” will be attended by President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, Prime Ministers of the Baltic States, Norway and Finland, Foreign Minsters of Lithuania and Denmark, Sweden’s Minister of Economy and Energy, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization Rufus Yerxa, heads of major Baltic energy companies, consulting firms and other enterprises, associated business structures, CEOs of international financial institutions, analysts from science institutions and others.

The BDF Summit will also be attended by Georgy Boos, Governor of Russia’s Kaliningrad region, with a business delegation. A delegation of Belarus will take part in the forum for the first time.

The main topics of the forum’s plenary sessions will be the compatibility of economic growth and environmental protection, the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and the Northern Dimension initiative, effective use of energy resources to tackle climate change, the model for sustainable economic development of the region.

In addition to general topics, separate working groups will discuss companies’ ability to attract capital during the economic recession, the promotion of contacts between science institutions for greater progress in the area of research, innovation policy in the region, integration of the markets in the Baltic Sea region, creative industry, green transport corridors, integration of energy markets, etc.

“It is my deep belief that the Baltic Sea Region has all necessary preconditions to become one of the most competitive regions in the world and, first of all, an attractive place to live. Creativity, new ideas, absence of barriers, enhanced human contacts, openness towards the neighbours – this is our vision for the next 10 years,” these are the welcoming words of Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis to the participants of the Summit.

During the forum, the ongoing Networking Village programme will include presentations, discussions, meetings and other events. In the evening of 1 June, the Baltic Sea Award will be conferred for extraordinary contributions to the development of the Baltic Sea Region. Last year the award was conferred on Chairman of the Management Board of the Vilnius Stock Exchange Arminta Saladžienė.

The annual State of the Region Report that is issued by the BDF, the draft report “Sustainable Energy Scenarios – Energy Perspectives for the Kaliningrad Region as an Integrated Part of the Baltic Sea Region” and the BaltMet Promo Project will also be presented at the upcoming BDF Summit in Vilnius. The BaltMet Promo Project aims at mobilising effort for creating value of the Baltic Sea Region worldwide by attracting tourists, talents and large international investment projects.

At the same time, the final event the year-long Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) - the Baltic Sea States Summit of Heads of Government – will be held in Vilnius.

The BDF, headed by former Danish Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, has organized such Summits in the countries of the Baltic Sea region annually since 1999. The fact that the Baltic Development Forum Summit is held in Vilnius shows that Lithuania has established itself as an active state in the Baltic Sea region.