The 21st Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, BSPC, was convened in Saint Petersburg on 26-28th August.
The conference attracted over 200 politicians, government officials, experts, representatives of stakeholder organizations and the industry of the Baltic Sea Region, as well as NGOs. A wide range of high-level presentations and political debate targeted issues such as regional partnership and cross-border cooperation, energy efficiency and green growth, integrated maritime policy, health and social welfare, and labour market mobility. The Chairman of the BSPC in 2011-2012, Ms Valentina Pivnenko, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, together with Mr Ivan Melnikov, first Vice-Speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, opened the conference. The conference was concluded with the unanimous adoption of a Resolution, expressing the political positions and recommendations of parliamentarians from the entire Baltic Sea Region. Closing the conference, Ms Pivnenko handed over the Chairman´s gavel to Ms Laine Randjärv, Vice Speaker of the Riigikogu, the Estonian Parliament, which will be hosting the 22nd BSPC in Pärnu on 26-27 August 2013.