UBC ROUTEMAP FOR THE FUTURE

UBC CITIES RUSHED TO HELP KOSOVO

The presidium has almost ended the second phase of shaping the Strategy to meet the expectations of the UBC member cities. The final draft will be presented to the Executive Board in Tartu, Estonia on 28 June 99. The next step, i. e. adopting the Strategy is down to the UBC General Assembly which is gathering at the conference in Stockholm. 
Indeed, the strategy marks a watershed in addressing the changes in the UBC which is adopting to the changing political situation in the Baltic Sea Region. UBC must now start an interactive process with the cities to set up a framework for coordinating its Commissions' respective actions, exchanges, progress as well as identify areas where actions must be taken first. 
It is expected that with the new Strategy, serving as the organisation's routemap to the future, UBC will find the process

easier. Further, it is the presidents' hope that with a clear strategy and the executive plan the UBC member cities will be better quipped to complement on-going regional co-operation within the BSR and the EU. 
With the strategy the Union of the Baltic Cities adapts the new quality of its activities to produce a recognisable hallmark. The Strategy, containing the long term vision, would increase the UBC' s profile in the Baltic Sea Region and contribute to achieving sustainability of the Region by developing UBC' s role as a major actor facilitating the co-operation and relationships between the Baltic cities, as well as representing their interests. 
Alongside the strategy drafting additionally two working groups have been established to work out the Internal Regulations and the Project Policy for the organisation.

UBC has been approached by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) who sought our help for the victims of Kosovo. Also, an invitation was extended to the cities and regions to set up partnerships with the Albanian cities and regions, and possibly with Kosovo. 
UBC cities are not turning a blind eye and see the humanitarian necessity to stop an ongoing crime against humanity. Tons of goods were sent to suffering refugees. 
Here are some details coming from the cities of action. Gdynia city bore transportation costs of food, clothes, tents and mattresses all packed in seven trucks. Money was donated by concerned citizens. Also, the city administration gave 100. 000 Zloty. Bergen City has been approached by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assist in planning the infrastructure in Kukes, Albania. The project is developed in close collaboration between the Ministry, Bergen City and Norwegian NGOs, having the relevant experience in such projects. Pori has many associations which channeled help for Kosovo, arranged concerts and other events to collect money and clothes. Inhabitants of Pori have donated nearly 300. 000 FIM and Satakunta Region

respectively 772. 000 FIM. Szczecinians have also gathered significant amounts of money to help the victims of the Balkans war. Malmö expressed its strong willingness to help Kosovo, too. Additionally, Göteborg has chosen to act through the established channels for international aid such as the Red Cross and the UNHCR for transporting and distributing items collected by the city administration. The Swedish municipalities together with Swedish International Development Agency are also hosing refugees who arrive to Sweden 
The Union of the Baltic Cities donated 2,5 thousand USD to help the war victims. 
UBC wishes to recognise all the cities that responded to the appeal to support the victims of the Balkan war.

US - BALTIC SEA REGION RELATIONS

13 members of the US -Baltic Sea Region Relations group visited the US
The members of the US-Baltic Sea Region Relations /Northern European Initiative were participants in the United States Information Agency' s International Visitor Program and were visiting the US on February 27-March 17,1999 as guests of the US Government. 
The 13 government officials, politician and academics, representing ten countries, gathered to discuss the US -Baltic Sea Region Relations: trade, investment and regional development. The UBC was represented by Ms Ewa Kurjata, Baltics Manager from Szczecin, Poland and Mr. Esa Kokkonen, Director of the Baltic Institute of Finland from Tampere, and Mr. Vladimir Churov, Deputy Head of International Relations Committee, St. Petersburg, Russia. 
The cities of Washington D. C. , NYC, El Paso, Seattle and Chicago were on the group's busy itinerary. Among the issues the group learned about was the Great Lakes - Baltic sea twinning project. Other primary areas of interest were economy and its relation to regional development, bilateral relations between the US and Canada. Baltic Sea Task Force on organised crime, energy safety and

efficiency, sustainable development, Northern European Initiative, US-Baltic Sea relations, environmental clean-up efforts in the BSR, EMU and its impact on the American Dollar, NAFTA and cross-border cooperation with Mexico were of major interest to the group. Also, the US Customs discussed how they inspect illegal products and what steps are being taken to thwart smuggling and identify counterfeit goods. Issues of intellectual property and trademark, strategic plans to enhance the identity of Greater Seattle in targeted world markets thru marketing publications, trade missions and other activities were also discussed. Finally, the group had an opportunity to learn the basics of the newly established Baltic-American Partnership Fund, jointly funded by the philanthropist George Soros and the USAID to support the development of civil society in the region through training, direct support and technical assistance.