Edvilas Raudonikis
Ambassador of Lithuania to Finland
In an era marked by geopolitical tensions and challenges to long-standing international norms, Northern Europe stands out as a region deeply committed to democratic values, rule of law, freedom, human rights, and a rules-based international order.
The Nordic and Baltic countries - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden—collectively known as NB8, have become an outstanding example of an open, modern, and results-oriented regional cooperation. Together, they aim to build a safer, more innovative, stronger and more competitive region. With a combined population of approximately 34 million and a total GDP of around €1.7 trillion, the NB8 ranks as the fifth-largest economy in Europe, just behind Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, and globally comparable to Canada and South Korea. The NB8 countries consistently rank among the global leaders in media freedom, innovation, sustainability, digitalization, happiness, and quality of life.
Success comes with responsibility. These achievements represent a powerful form of soft power, which should be leveraged through strategic storytelling and the sharing of experience on how to create an area of success, based on historical ties, transformation and strategic vision.
The deep historical connections among the Nordic countries date back to the Viking era and were later reinforced through political unions in the 14 - 16th centuries. In the late 19th century, soft cooperation initiatives such as the Nordic Postal Union (1869) laid the foundation for more formal collaboration. These efforts culminated in the establishment of the Nordic Council (1952) and the Nordic Council of Ministers (1971), supported by strong civil society engagement.
On the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, the historical trajectory was far more turbulent. Countries like Lithuania disappeared from the map following the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the late 18th century, only to re-emerge alongside Latvia and Estonia during the “Year of Independence” in 1918. However, frozen conflict between Poland and Lithuania over Vilnius hindered early Baltic cooperation. Modern Baltic cooperation began even before the restoration of independence in the early 1990s, with coordination among national movements. Inspired by successful Nordic models, the Baltic Council (1989), Baltic Assembly (1991), and the Baltic Council of Ministers (1994) were established to formalize regional collaboration.
The 1990s marked a period of rapid transformation for the Baltic states and the broader region. Nordic countries played a crucial role both collectively and individually. As a group, they shared best practices and regional cooperation models. Individually, they were among the first foreign investors, trainers of civil servants, and advisors to emerging political parties. The results are striking: the standard of living in the Baltic states increased six - to sevenfold, with only Poland experiencing greater income growth within the EU. For small-population countries such as Lithuania (2.8 million), Latvia (1.86 million), and Estonia (1.34 million), openness, media freedom, and value-based political imperatives became binding elements of evolving Nordic–Baltic cooperation. The Nordic model served both as a stimulus and as a compensatory mechanism for the constraints of their small domestic markets.
Strategic thinking has always been a cornerstone of NB8 cooperation. Even when Nordic collaboration excluded foreign and security policy, its robustness served as a strategic counterbalance. After the Baltic states regained independence in the early 1990s, the Nordic-Baltic partnership adopted a clear strategic goal: to facilitate the integration of Baltic countries into European and Transatlantic structures as swiftly and smoothly as possible.
While regional cooperation in the Baltic Sea area has brought many successes, not all initiatives have evolved seamlessly. A telling example is the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), originally established to support the eastern and southern Baltic Sea countries in their transition toward becoming “European.” Following the EU’s enlargement, the CBSS shifted its focus toward fostering cooperation with Russia. However, its relevance has since declined due to fundamental value-based divergences, particularly as Russia has come to pose a direct threat to other member states. Today, CBSS faces a critical challenge: redefining its role and structure considering the new geopolitical reality.
In the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the NB8 regional unity as well as coordinated actions and a unified voice in the international fora has become more important than ever.
The most important recent strategic turning point in the region was the decision by Finland and Sweden to make a final shift in their long-standing security policy from neutrality, through non-military alignment, to full membership in NATO.
A clear example of a strategic approach by the entire Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) region is their staunch commitment to supporting Ukraine: seven of the top ten donors, when measured as a share of assistance relative to GDP, are Nordic-Baltic countries.
In conclusion, the NB8 is more than a geographic grouping - it is a model of successful regional cooperation, built on historic roots, wisely adapted to current realities: on shared values, and on a strong sense of collective responsibility.
All this positive experience can and should be globally shared in today’s world, which increasingly tends to turn inward and seek solutions nationally. For us as Europeans, it is essential to employ this vast intellectual, administrative, and political capital of this regional cooperation to support Ukraine and Moldova on their path toward full-fledged membership in Euro-Atlantic structures as the Nordics made for the Baltics three decades ago As members of the European family in values, identity, and commitment, they now need our help to be formally integrated into European institutions.