With regional security, hybrid threats, the shadow fleet and critical undersea infrastructure high on the agenda, the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Foreign Ministers and high-level representatives met in Sopot, Poland, under the Polish CBSS Presidency on May 28-29, 2026, for the 23rd Ministerial Session of the intergovernmental organisation CBSS.
In the Sopot Declaration issued after the meeting, the ministers stressed the need to strengthen regional responses to hybrid threats, including cyberattacks, sabotage, election interference, instrumentalisation of migration, airspace incursions and disruptions to navigation systems in the Baltic Sea Region.
The ministers also expressed concern over Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” describing it as a major environmental, economic and security risk, and called for closer coordination with flag states, further work on legal responses, and stronger regional cooperation to protect critical undersea infrastructure.
In this context the Council welcomed the organization of the meeting of Legal Advisors in Stockholm on 6 May 2026 focusing on threats emanating from the shadow fleet and the protection of critical undersea infrastructure and underlined the importance of continuing discussions between the CBSS members, and when relevant including Legal Advisors, on the domestic and international legal framework of the law of the sea.
The declaration further reaffirmed the role of the CBSS as a platform for political dialogue and cooperation on regional security issues.
The ministers agreed that the organisation should continue focusing on security, including resilience, civil preparedness, hybrid threats, and foreign information manipulation and interference.
The Council highlighted that implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Protection of Critical Undersea Infrastructure in the Baltic Sea constitutes a central component of these efforts. The Council commended the NATO Enhanced Vigilance Activity “Baltic Sentry” for improving situational awareness and deterrence.
The Council also emphasized the importance of swift efforts towards ending the dependency on energy imports from Russia, in line with the REPowerEU.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland organised the Ministerial Session as part of Poland’s rotating CBSS Presidency.
During its Presidency, Poland has prioritised strengthening the political pillar of the organisation through a stronger focus on regional security, including the protection of critical infrastructure and countering the “shadow fleet” in the Baltic Sea Region.
On July 1, 2026, Poland will hand over the CBSS Presidency to Iceland.
Established in 1992 by the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic Sea countries to stabilise the region and reignite cooperation after the Cold War, the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) is an intergovernmental organisation that currently consists of 11 members: the 10 Member States of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden, plus the European Union.
