Akhutina speech at 25 BSPC

Daria Akhutina, Coordinative Committee member, BS NGO Forum and Network, Russian Platform ChairpersonBS NGO Network Coordinative Committee members agreed on and presented for the BS NGO Forum’s participants the views on current development and existing challenges crucial for the future stability of the Network:To booster interaction, better information exchange, coordination and synergy between the BS NGO Network and other cooperation platforms existing in the region: ND partnerships, BSPC, CBSS, EUSBSR, NCM, UBC and other, dealing with people-to-people level of collaboration. All platforms existing in the regions are mostly facing same lack of recourses both human and financial, that’s why the deeper synergy with the aim of consolidating resources is as topical as ever before. BSNGO Forum and the Network calling in this regard to continue the valuable cooperation with BS PC – having people as a main asset of the regional cooperation – both NGOs and Parliamentarians are important facilitators of the interaction on the people-to-people level.To strengthen the National Platforms of the BS NGO Network in all CBSS countries by facilitating NGO cooperation in between the annual Fora by enhancing the common activities including projects and initiativesTo ensure the sustainability of the BS NGO NETWORK and the Annual Forum by providing the reliable source of funding - common fund available for NGOs from all BSR countries - on the permanent basis in order to overcome the lack of systematical and permanent support which currently takes placeIn the framework of the BS NGO Forum in Gdansk the Round table with a title “The role of the Baltic Sea regional cooperation in the current political context: Focus on the level of people-to-people cooperation and practical dimension of the cooperation was organized. The Round table was aimed to openly discuss the potential, possibilities and the most relevant topics of the wide scale cooperation on the people-to-people level involving municipalities, universities, culture institutions, businesses and NGOs. To ensure a discussion of these important issues will lead to develop the effective measures and solutions, a multi-sectoral approach have been ensured by inviting the participants and speakers from both NGOs, Academia, municipalities and representatives to BS institutions representatives to take part in discussion.The Round table participants emphasized that:The recent developments in the BSR cooperation increasingly moving into the plane of relations on a people-to-people level.Despite any tensions which might exist at the political level, the citizens of neighbouring countries strive to maintain stability and development through dialogue and interaction.The role of cooperation at the level of civil societies as an important and essential part of the Baltic Sea region’s transnational cooperation, as it provides a vast potential for creating a favourable social climate, providing stability and good neighbourhood.To meet challenges and to tackle existing threats even in the rapidly changing political environment is possible only by consolidating the forces from all sectors of the society and civic organizations play in this context the crucial role.The participants of the BS NGO Forum became very much encouraged by the upcoming Icelandic chairmanship’s priorities announced by the Chairman of the CBSS CSO Ambassador Mr. Mr Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson).– democracy, equality and children – align so much with the spheres of NGOs activities and successful regional cooperation where the potential of civic organizations in all BS countries is traditionally strong. BS NGO Network and its national platforms looking forward to start the preparation process for the upcoming XV BS NGO Forum which will take place in Iceland for the first time in its history.Today is my very last speech as an official representative of the BS NGO Network and the Forum after enjoying the role of liaison person between BS NGO Forum and BSPC during 6 years.I start my job at CBSS Secretariat soon in September. Let me use this moment to express my gratitude for these years of the fruitful cooperation with BSPC which I’m very sure will be continued.I’m happy to handover this honorable duty to my Polish colleague Ms. Magda Leszczyna-Rzucidło, President of the Baltic Institute for Regional and European Concern.