On 21 September 2022, Tallinn hosted the annual Baltic States consultations on consular matters. This year, the spotlight was turned to the large-scale crises experienced over the past few years – the COVID-19 pandemic, the Afghanistan crisis, and the hostilities in Ukraine – in the management of which, the consular services of all the Baltic States were effectively engaged.
During the consultations, the Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian delegations exchanged views on solutions and share best practice of how to ensure consular services in the countries most dangerous for travel, and those with a limited representation of the European Member States. Attention was devoted to public outreach campaigns for travelling safely and to the importance of travel alerts. Colleagues shared experience on cooperation with outsourced service providers to ensure consular services in diplomatic and consular missions.
The consultations featured an in-depth discussion about restrictions on entry to the Schengen Area currently imposed on Russian citizens, and updates concerning the issuance of visas to the citizens of Russia and Belarus.
Background information
Consular consultations between the Baltic States are held annually on a rotational basis, and this year they were organised by Estonia. It is a valuable and important exchange of experience to improve the effectiveness of consular services.