Differences convey competition conveys innovation conveys trade conveys economical growth. This is the reason why the nine countries bordering the Baltic Sea are, since centuries, successfully economically interweaved. Conditions to overcome the financial crisis and the demographical trend are explained in the study “Future of the Baltic Sea”, whose chapter on trade was presented on April, 14^th in the Chamber of Commerce of Berlin. Guest speaker of this evening was the Latvian Minister for Economy Mr. Artis Kampars. The Embassy of the Republic Latvia in Berlin organized this event together with initiators of the Baltic Sea Network.
In his welcoming speech, H.E. Ilgvars Klava, ambassador of Latvia, underlined the necessity of a strong network of the Baltic Sea neighboring countries to cope with the financial and economic crisis. The main lesson that Latvia has learned from the crisis is that industry should be the driving force of the economy besides the traditional financial and services sectors.
The German presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States gives a new chance to make German and European policymakers understand the relevance of the Baltic Sea stressed Henning Finck, Deputy Manager of the Chamber of Commerce of Hamburg in Berlin. The Baltic Sea Network is all the more relevant because, for the city of Hamburg alone, more than 300 firms intensively exchange within the Baltic Sea area.
Then Dr. Silvia Stiller, researcher at the Hamburgisches Weltwirtschaftsinstitut (HWWI) and co-writer of the study, confirms Finck’s statement in a scientific way. She stressed that one third of the EU exports come from the Baltic Sea area. Even if she thinks that the region is about to overcome the crisis, she reminds that economical growth could not be possible if not associated with breaking down obstacles to trade (all the more boundaries but also the language).
Considering the situation of his country which had to make a lot of efforts to cope with the financial crisis, Artis Kampars, Latvian Minister for Economy, stressed the currency stabilization and the reduction of the budget deficit under eight percent. He also mentioned that those efforts have been made in order to become a member of the Eurozone in 2014. Important for the Latvian growth is a strong European integration, for instance through an European Energy Network which could lead to less dependency on Russian suppliers.
After each contribution Bernd Hüttemann, EM Germany’s Secretary General moderated the discussion which was followed by more than 80 partners of the network and interested people. Kampars and Stiller underlined that the beginning of the free movement of labor on Mai, 1^st is to be regarded more as a chance than a danger. In view to the demographical trend, more flexibility in the European labor market is necessary. At the end there is no brain drain but a brain circulation: Persons who emigrate return to their country of origin with more experiences and ideas and finally contribute to innovation in their country.
The topic of demography and labor market will be fully explained during the next event of the Baltic Sea Network together with the Embassy of Poland on May, 30^th ; four weeks after the unrestricted free movement of labor for Citizens of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Rumania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Hungary.