Hungary gets observer status in Council of Baltic Sea States

Budapest, June 9 (MTI) – The Council of the Baltic Sea States has decided to grant Hungary observer status in the organisation, the foreign ministry told MTI on Wednesday.

The decision came after the council’s deputy foreign ministers agreed at a meeting in Warsaw to approve a request for observer status Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó had submitted last November. He filed the request with the foreign minister of Poland, the country that currently holds the council’s rotating presidency.

With its observer status, Hungary will gain insight into the council’s work and cooperation strategies, the ministry said in a statement.

Hungary wants to use its status to further demonstrate its commitment to intensifying relations with the countries of the Baltic region, the ministry added.

The Council of the Baltic Sea States is a political forum for intergovernmental cooperation between the Baltic states and the European Commission. Its priority tasks include fostering a regional identity, developing the region as a sustainable society and strengthening its security. The council has ten observer states.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters