The Turku process was a bottom-up initiative promoting practical cooperation in the Baltic Sea region, particularly with Russian partners. It was built on decades of close cooperation and accumulated trust between twin cities: Turku was the first city in the world to establish official city relations with the Russian metropolis, Saint Petersburg, back in 1953.
The Turku process was a joint initiative of the City of Turku, Regional Council of Southwest Finland, the City of St. Petersburg and the City of Hamburg, supported by European Commission's Directorate General for Regional Policy (DG REGIO).
Local expertise in the centre
The objective of the Turku Process was to bring together local actors, create dialogue and enhance concrete project cooperation. Above all, the aim was to bring EU and Russian actors closer to each other in the Baltic Sea region. The Turku Process utilized its local expertise in developing solutions for regional challenges.
Involvement
in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region
In 2013, the Horizontal Action “Neighbours” was added to the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. The aim of the Neighbours was to bring non-EU countries and actors into cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. The Horizontal Action was coordinated by the City of Turku and the Stockholm-based Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Secretariat. The City of Turku appointed the practical coordination work of the Neighbours to the Turku Process Secretariat which is based in Centrum Balticum Foundation.
Read more about the Neighbours coordination work here.