TALLINN, May 21 (LETA--BNS) - Representatives of Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday laying the foundation for future cooperation between the three capital cities in crisis preparedness.

The aim of the memorandum and the resulting network is to ensure close coordination between Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius, and to support the development of an effective and unified crisis management system across the Baltics.

Led by the City of Tallinn, the roundtable focused on preparedness for crises and the continuity of essential services. According to Mayor of Tallinn Jevgeni Ossinovski, the role of a capital city extends beyond its administrative borders during a crisis, and this must be considered in preparedness planning.

"The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that in times of crisis, the response must come not only from the state but also from cities. Local governments are responsible for delivering the majority of essential services, and ensuring their continuity, such as in education and social support, during prolonged emergencies is critical. Effective crisis management requires a systematic approach and regular training exercises. Sharing experiences with neighboring cities is essential for building this kind of resilience," said Ossinovski.

The City of Tallinn is preparing to launch a new support measure aimed at increasing the crisis resilience of apartment associations.

"Tallinn has already established designated evacuation sites and resilience centers. Today, we had an in-depth discussion with our neighbors about sheltering, and the city is committed to further developing this capacity," Ossinovski added.

Vilnius Deputy Mayor Andrius Grigonis presented the city's sheltering and evacuation systems at the roundtable.

"Vilnius has a municipal defense policy plan with two core objectives -- to support national defense and to strengthen civil protection. The main projects are the creation of the city's countermobility equipment park and drone flying training zones. We have also developed a universal evacuation plan for residents that is scalable across different scenarios and levels -- from individual buildings and neighborhoods to entire city districts. Also, we inventoried thousands of underground premises in Vilnius, checked their condition and plan to invest over two million euros to their improvement this year. Vilnius protection is one of our administration priorities," said Grigonis.

Riga's Deputy Mayor Linda Ozola emphasized the importance of public awareness alongside the development of sheltering capacity.

"People want to see that not only the state but also the cities are taking preparedness seriously. Close Baltic cooperation and efficient investments in civil defense is a strong signal towards our enemy that we will not be an easy target. An important part in it is also self-confidence and a general sense of security, which begins with knowing that your community, city, and country are ready -- and that you, as an individual, also have the knowledge and tools to stay strong during difficult times. We must invest not only in infrastructure but also in the education of our citizens," Ozola stated.

With support from the European Union, the City of Riga plans to invest nearly seven million euros into the development of shelter spaces in residential buildings.