Draft

Draft 22nd SESSION OF THE BALTIC ASSEMBLY FINAL DOCUMENT The Baltic Assembly, having convened on 27– 29 November 2003 in Vilnius, the Republic of Lithuania, for its 22nd Session; having discussed mutual information exchange and co-ordination of matters of the Baltic States within the enlargement process of the EU and NATO, development of energy and transport infrastructure, as well as creation of a common information technology space, adopted the following documents: Resolution on the ecological threat of oilfield D-6 to the Baltic Sea; Resolution against trafficking in women and children; Resolution on integration in the field of maritime transport; Resolution on the maritime cultural heritage in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; Resolution on the support for the proposal to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to investigate and internationally condemn the crimes of the totalitarian communist regime; Recommendation on observation of chemical munitions dumped into the Baltic Sea; Decision on amendments to the Baltic Assembly Statutes; Regulations on activities of the party groups (factions) of the Baltic Assembly; Decision on amendments to the Statutes on the Baltic Assembly Prizes for Literature, the Arts and Science; Decision on amendments to the Baltic Assembly Regulations for publishing the works of the Baltic Assembly Prize Winners; Decision on amendments to the Regulations on the Flag of the Baltic Assembly; Decision on amendments to the Regulations on the use of the Baltic Assembly funds, approved the Baltic Assembly 2002 Budget Report and the Baltic Assembly Budget for 2004; defined the following priorities of the Baltic Assembly for 2004:

1. Mutual information exchange and co-ordination of matters among the Baltic States with regard to the EU and NATO. Co-operation in rendering assistance to and sharing reform experience with third countries;
2. Development of energy and transport infrastructure. The role of ports in the national economy and the environment;
3. Issues of social development, including research and development, infrastructure, health care, development of information technology and civil defence, as well as issues relating to the development and enhancement of the quality of the educational systems in the Baltic States; defined the following priorities of co-operation between the Baltic Assembly and the Baltic Council of Ministers for 2004:
4. Integration into the EU and NATO (exchange of information on the strategy for utilisation of EU support, preparation of joint projects);
5. Co-operation in implementing the Schengen Action Plan (border guarding, fight against illegal migration, joining the Schengen Information System);
6. Co-operation in the field of information technologies (introduction of GPS in the fields of customs, border guard, transport safety, and crime prevention), decided that the 23rd Session of the Baltic Assembly will take place on 25-27 November 2004 in Rīga, the Republic of Latvia. President of the Baltic Assembly Giedrė PURVANECKIENĖ Republic of Lithuania Vice President of the Baltic Assembly Jānis REIRS Republic of Latvia Vice President of the Baltic Assembly Andres TAIMLA Republic of Estonia Vilnius, 29 November 2003