Union of the Baltic Cities

Union of the Baltic Cities ("UBC") is a voluntary, proactive network mobilizing the shared potential of the member cities for democratic, economic, social, cultural and environmentally sustainable development of the Baltic Sea region.
Origins.
The Union of the Baltic Cities was founded in Gdańsk, Poland in September 1991, by 32 cities, with the aim of developing cooperation and exchange between its member cities. Inspired in part by the historic example of the Hanseatic League and supported by the European Union's Interreg programs to stimulate regional cooperation within the EU, it was one of the first formal institutions established to bolster the Baltic as a cohesive region within Europe. The city of Kalmar in Sweden took the initiative in founding the organization, but Gdańsk was chosen as the organization's headquarters to emphasize the desire to break down historic barriers between Western and Eastern Europe. Anders Engström, who was in office from 1999 to 2001, was the first President of the UBC. Per Boedker Andersen was the UBC President in the term 2001–2019. Since 2019 the office has been held by Mantas Jurgutis.
Aims.
The Union states its aims are to:
Status.
The Union gathers the cities from ten Baltic Sea countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden.