Dear UBC Friends,
 I would like to welcome you warmly all to the sixth UBC General Conference, hosted by the Hanseatic City of Rostock. The conference also marks the 10th anniversary of UBC, and I also would like to specially welcome our 100th member city, Berlin, as an UBC member city.
Both the Baltic Sea Region as well as the UBC has developed tremendously during these ten years. When we started, the probably strictest section of the iron curtain had just fallen, and there was a tremendous need for contacts between cities across our Baltic Sea. UBC turned out to be a very successful platform for such contacts.
The first years were in many ways dominated by the search for new contacts and learning to know each other again after so many years of useless division. But soon the contacts developed to normal daily contacts between cities in democratic countries. UBC also developed to one of the major political organisations in our region, and UBC is met with respect from many different actors.
Our region shows a level of stable economic and political development that in my opinion is unique in the world. UBC has been a very important part of this development, which we all should be proud of.
But the road to the future lies ahead of us, and the sixth UBC General Conference is an important step. The theme, "Social Justice in the new Millennium", reflects one of the main spheres of city activity as the social field is one of the large items in city budgets. Many of our citizen benefit of the social services, and the sector is a large employer.
However, social policy has attracted too little attention in the discussions across the Baltic Sea. It is therefore an important step to high-light the social issues and to give them increased importance in the development of the Baltic Sea Region. It is important not only because of solidarity reasons but the social sector must be in order if the stable political and economic development in our region shall continue successfully.
I am very confident in the future of our Union, and I do hope the new UBC President will get as much support as I have received during the years. There will be new challenges and developments, and I know that UBC is very well prepared for the future.
The sixth UBC General Conference will be the last for me as UBC President. During my time in UBC I have had the pleasure to meet and co-operate with numerous devoted persons from cities and other authorities and organisations. I therefore would like to take the opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to the marvellous development of UBC and the Baltic Sea Region. Thank you!
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With Baltic Sea Greetings
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Anders Engström
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UBC President
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Kalmar, October 2001
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