This one-off sum will support the cultural fund during its start-up phase, support Baltic regional co-operation, and mark 100 years of independence for the Baltic countries.

The intention is for the newly created cultural fund to use the money for joint Baltic initiatives in the Nordic countries. According to the Baltic cultural fund’s own estimates, this amount could cover up to four major cultural projects in the Nordic Region.

“We would like to congratulate Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on the successful establishment of the Baltic cultural fund. Cross-border cultural co-operation makes an invaluable impression on encounters between people and serves as an important foundation for understanding between people from different countries. The extensive cultural co-operation that we see right across the Nordic Region is unequivocal proof of this,” says Margot Wallström, who chaired the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation in 2018 when the decision was made to grant funding to the cultural fund.

In planning their cultural fund, the three Baltic countries engaged in dialogue with the Nordic countries to learn how Nordic cultural co-operation works. Among other things, the Nordic Council and the Nordic Culture Fund have had discussions with the Baltic countries.

The Baltic cultural fund started operating on 1 January. Estonia is chairing the fund during its first year. This role will then rotate between the three countries.