From 1990 onward friendly contacts have been developed between the academies of sciences of the Baltic States and the Nordic countries.

In order to establish a closer contact between the Academies of Sciences of the three Baltic States and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, a meeting was arranged on June 26–28, 1990 in Tallinn with representatives of four academies. The Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian academies of sciences signed a communiqué on cooperation between the three academies of sciences on 28 June 1990. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences played a not insignificant role in fostering this process. It was then decided that the academies should initiate and encourage scientific collaboration, with particular emphasis on environmental research. As an important first step it was decided that a joint meeting of active researchers of the four countries should be organized at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. The conference with the title “Environmental Toxicology and Health”, held in May 1991, was a very interesting and successful meeting.

After the 1990 Tallinn meeting, the delegations of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian academies of sciences started meeting annually in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius to discuss the topical problems and issues of research cooperation. In 1996, the geography of participating academies was extended beyond the southern part of the Baltic Sea Region, and the delegations of the academies of sciences of the Nordic countries were invited to attend these meetings. Over the following years the inter–academy cooperation, particularly among the Baltic academies of sciences, has been realized in the following forms: exchange of information, exchange of scientific visits, joint meeting/conferences and mutual consultations to represent internationally the views and positions.

From 1991 until 1996 the Baltic–Norwegian Legal conferences were held, upon the initiative of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters, in order to discuss the legal and constitutional issues with special focus on the Baltic States, which recently had reinstated their independence. These conferences that were twice held in Norway (1991, 1994), once in Latvia (1992) and once in Estonia (1996) were found to be an area where the collaboration agreements with each of the Baltic academies of sciences, signed in April 1991, were really coming into useful practice.

In the 1990s the academies of sciences around the Baltic Sea entered into bilateral agreements aimed at enhancing mobility of scientists and facilitating scientific networking. The Estonian Academy of Sciences, the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and the Latvian Academy of Sciences established close and friendly contacts with a number of Nordic academies of sciences, namely The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, The Academy of Finland, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. All or any of the Baltic academies of sciences signed bilateral agreements on scientific cooperation with the above academies in Sweden, Norway and Finland. The long history of the friendly academies of sciences of the northern Europe proved to be really valuable in sharing experiences during the academy delegation meetings because a distinct historical background of each academy, understandably, has had its effect upon their main activities and missions: science policy and advice, awarding prizes for scientific and educational achievement (international and national), representation of country’s science internationally (ALLEA, ESF, ICSU, UAI, IAP, etc.), publications, research support from own foundations and source of funding (own funds created through gifts & legacies and/or governmental funds).

Until 2000, the delegations of the three Baltic academies of sciences met regularly and several Baltic–Nordic meetings were held. The major topics of the first decade of these meetings were: scanty budgetary funding of science in the Baltic countries, upholding of the positions of the Baltic and Nordic academies of sciences internationally (ALLEA, ICSU, IAP, etc.), three joint research programs of the Baltic academies of sciences; the scientific justification of the Baltic energy system, establishing a Baltic academies’ webpage and databases on internationally recognized experts of the Baltic countries, joint publishing (Revue Baltique, others).

It was in 1998 that during the Tallinn meeting the partners agreed to broaden the discussions, to step beyond the internal matters of the academies of sciences, and a couple of decisive decisions were made. It was then decided to hold the next meeting of the Baltic Academies of Sciences in conjunction with a scientific conference to be organized in Riga in 1999. Besides, the presidents of the three Baltic academies agreed to establish a joint Medal of the Baltic Academies of Sciences to be awarded in recognition of distinguished contribution to the advancement of collaboration among scientists of the Baltic countries and for performing joint research.

In 1999, the 7th Baltic Conference on Intellectual Cooperation was held in Riga and since then a different pattern of academy meetings was introduced. This conference continued the pre–war (1935–1940) series of biennial conferences, bringing together intellectuals from the Baltic Sea region to discuss common issues. The Conference of 1999 saw the participation of representatives of the Baltic States, Finland, Sweden and Norway. The tradition of holding the Baltic Conferences on Intellectual Cooperation appears to be a heritage left by the International Institute on Intellectual Cooperation (replaced by UNESCO) set up the League of Nations. Nowadays the academies of sciences have become the main attraction point in organizing these events. Since 1999 the Baltic Conferences on Intellectual Cooperation have been organised by the Estonian Academy of Sciences, the Latvian Academy of Sciences, the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.  

The Conference themes have sought to address the following issues:

7th BCIC (Riga, 1999) – the history and future prospects of mutual cooperation of the Baltic States with particular focus on the protection of intellectual values and science;

8th BCIC (Tallinn, June 2001) – the historical experience of the Baltic States, research strategies in small countries, and the humanities during the past decade;

9th BCIC (Vilnius, June 2003) – „Globalization, Europe and National Identity”, with considerable attention paid to science and culture of small countries;

10th BCIC (Helsinki, 2005) – „The Baltic: Past, Present and Future”. History and politics, the Baltic Sea as a body of water, and scientific collaboration around the Baltic Sea;

11th BCIC (Riga, October 2007) – „National Development Strategies of the Baltic States”;

12th BCIC (Vilnius, November 2010) – „Science and Society”;

13th BCIC (Tallinn, January 2013) – „European Research Area and Small Countries”.

The staff of the Baltic Secretariat, who, for over 15 years (1990–2005), have worked to ensure close cooperation between the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian academies of sciences. From left to right: Vytautas Puronas, Galina Varlamova, Jānis Kristapsons

A. Draveniece