On November 6, 2025, Raimonds Čudars, Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development (VARAM), is participating in the Nordic-Baltic Council of Ministers for Digital Affairs (MR-Digital) meeting in Tampere, Finland. The meeting is expected to approve a declaration on promoting the development of the European Union (EU) Digital Identity Wallet in the Nordic-Baltic region, as well as discuss future cooperation in data management.
Minister Raimonds Čudars says, "The approval of this declaration is a big step for the Nordic and Baltic countries to work together on digital transformation and connectivity in the region. This declaration confirms our region's strong commitment to working together to promote the development of digital identities and cross-border services, ensuring convenient and secure access to digital solutions for citizens and businesses. This cooperation will strengthen the region's competitiveness and promote the modernization of public administration."
The MR-Digital meeting will focus on the goal of creating a unified and reliable digital environment in the Nordic-Baltic region and the European Union, ensuring a secure and user-friendly electronic identification system based on the EU Digital Identity Wallet. This solution will allow citizens and businesses to securely access public and private services regardless of national borders. By the end of 2026, all EU Member States must ensure that their citizens have access to at least one EU Digital Identity Wallet. To achieve this, national solutions must be developed over the next year, certification requirements must be established, and conformity assessment bodies must be able to carry out the necessary certification.
The meeting is also expected to approve the declaration of the Nordic-Baltic digital ministers on cooperation in the implementation of the EU Digital Identity Wallet, promoting secure, reliable and interoperable solutions in the region and strengthening cooperation between the institutions involved. As previously reported, the EU Digital Identity Wallet will be a mobile electronic identification tool that allows citizens to store identity documents, such as driver's licenses or educational documents, in digital format. This will enable them to securely verify their identity, make payments, and control the transfer of their personal data to various service providers.
The agenda also includes discussions on cooperation within the newly established Nordic-Baltic Artificial Intelligence Center.
About the Nordic-Baltic Council of Ministers for Digital Affair
The Nordic-Baltic Council of Ministers for Digital Affairs (MR-DIGITAL) is a cooperation format that brings together the ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Åland to promote digital transformation, data governance, and the development of cross-border solutions in the region.