19.6.2012

A forum for the Baltic Sea region’s most important decision-makers.

The Baltic Development Forum summit to be held in Turku in the summer of 2014

The Baltic Development Forum (BDF) summit, which is the most important gathering of the Baltic Sea region's economic and social decision-makers will be held in Turku in June 2014. The decision was taken on Monday 18 June in Copenhagen, where this year's summit is taking place.

The summit is attended by influential actors and experts from nearly a thousand different sectors, including several prime ministers and EU commissioners.

The BDF's founder is the former Danish foreign minister Uffe Elleman-Jensen. The main theme of the BDF summit was promoting smart and sustainable growth in the Baltic Sea region. In connection with the BDF, a European Joint Commission's review of the EU’s Baltic Sea strategy also took place.

The BDF will promote the Stockholm-Turku-Helsinki-St Petersburg axis 

Above : Aleksi Randell, The Mayor of Turku, in Copenhagen, in the background European Commissioner Siim Kallas.

The Mayor of Turku Aleksi Randell spoke at the summits plenary session, on the theme of the development of logistics and transport connections in the Baltic Sea region. Turku was also extremely visible at the event, particularly through its exhibition stand.

Turku also made a submission to the Baltic countries’ Prime Ministers’ conference in connection with organising the BDF Summit. The initiative was met with approval, although a formal decision has not yet been made.

In Randell’s view, Turku hosting the BDF summit in 2014 will significantly strengthen the city’s goals regarding the driving forward of the northern Baltic growth corridor between Stockholm-Turku-Helsinki-St Petersburg.

It has to be seen as an appreciation of active role Turku takes on Baltic Sea issues.

– Hosting the summit in Turku demonstrates that the long-term activities of Turku are valued and listened to within the Baltic Sea region, states Randell.

Further information:

• BDF's webpages