(VOVWORLD) -Russia announced on Tuesday its withdrawal from the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS) amid rising tensions between Moscow and the West over the conflict in Ukraine.
 Warships and support vessels and aircraft of the Russian Navy and the Aerospace Forces take part in the Ocean Shield 2019 drills in the Baltic Sea. (Photo documentary: TASS) |
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said "We consider further presence of our country in the council pointless and counterproductive," adding that despite withdrawing from the CBSS, it will maintain a presence in the Baltic region.
CBSS is a political forum for regional cooperation of 11 member countries (including Germany, Finland, and Norway) and the European Union.