MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The NB8, established in 1992, includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. In 2016, Latvia is the coordinating country for the NB8 regional format. The NB8 framework has not been institutionalized and has an informal status.
"On 17 and 18 October, State Secretaries of the Foreign Ministries of the Baltic and Nordic countries will convene in the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) format," the Latvian Foreign Ministry statement read.
According to the ministry, the priorities for NB8 cooperation in 2016 include the strengthening of security within the region, in particular, energy security, strategic communication development, as well as the issue of cybersecurity and support for the Eastern Partnership, the EU initiative to manage the bloc's relationship with the post-Soviet states.
In 2017, Norway is due to coordinate the NB8 cooperation.