Developing a Baltic Intra-Regional Security Strategy

Although all three are active members of NATO and the European Union, intra-regional cooperation among the Baltic States has not been as robust as current security threats and challenges in Europe demand. The report is intended as a guide to policy officials and decision-makers in the Baltics and Allied countries regarding the Baltic States’ defense and deterrence postures, societal resilience, and economic and cyber security. A dozen articles compiled within this groundbreaking study provide an assessment of the Baltic security environment and recommendations for closer cooperation, using an intra-regional and inter-disciplinary approach. The event’s discussion will outline the common Baltic Security issues from a transatlantic perspective and explore the questions in need of further research.

 
Agenda
Welcoming Remarks10.00 AMGlen HowardPresident, The Jamestown Foundation Olevs Nikers Director, BSSP Žaneta OzoliņaProfessor, International Relations, University of Latvia*     *     *Keynote Speech 10:15 - 11:00 AMGlen GrantSenior  Fellow, United Kingdom Institute for Statecraft*     *     *Coffee Break11.00 - 11.10 AM*     *     *Panel I: Defense & Deterrence / Societal resilience and Cyber Security 11:10 - 11:55 AM"Cyber Security Challenges" Dr. Tadas JakstasEnergy Security Expert, NATO Energy Security Center of Excellence "Defense and Deterrence. Societal Resilience" Glen GrantSenior  Fellow, United Kingdom Institute for Statecraft"Legal Challenges to Baltic Defense Synchronization"Otto TabunsExecutive Director, BSSP*     *     *Coffee Break11.55 - 12.00 PM*     *     *Panel II: Societal Security, Economic and Infrastructure Security Challenges12:00 - 1:30 PM"Baltic Response to Societal Security Challenges" Dalia BankauskaiteAdjunct Fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis "Hybrid Warfare and Societal Security"Anne-Ly ReimaaHead of International Relations on Integration Issues, Cultural Diversity Department,Ministry of Culture of Estonia"Energy Security Challenges" Dr. Tadas JakstasEnergy Security Expert, NATO Energy Security Center of Excellence "Financial Security Challenges"Dr. Didzis KļaviņšSenior Researcher, University of Latvia"Transportation & Infrastructure Security Challenges"Olevs NikersDirector, BSSP*     *     *Conclusion1:30 - 1:45 PM

 
Speaker Biographies
Didzis Klavins is a Senior Researcher at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Social Sciences and Advanced Social and Political Research Institute. Didzis obtained his Ph.D. in International Politics at the University of Latvia (thesis title: Transformation of the Foreign Ministries in the Baltic and Scandinavian Countries, 2004-2012). He holds the Europaeum’s M.A. in European History and Civilization, jointly  offered by Leiden University, Université Paris I – Panthéon-Sorbonne,  and the University of Oxford. Didzis Klavins also holds a M.A. in  Political Science from the University of Latvia. He has also studied at  Uppsala University, the University of Oslo, and the University of  Wisconsin-Eau Claire. For several years Didzis worked at the Ministry of  Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.  Žaneta Ozoliņa is a Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science, University of Latvia. Her research interests focus on European integration, Transatlantic security, regional cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, as well as foreign and security policy of the Baltic States. Dr. Žaneta Ozoliņa is the author of more than 90 scholarly articles and editor of several books, including such as “Latvia-Russia-X” (2007),  “Rethinking Security” (2010), “Gender and Human Security: a View from the Baltic Sea Region” (2015), “Societal Security: Inclusion-Exclusion Dilemma. A portrait of Russian-speaking community in Latvia” (2016). She is a member of the editorial boards of several journals, such as Journal of Baltic Studies, Defence Strategic Communications, Lithuanian Annual Strategic Review, and is Editor in chief of the journal Latvijas intereses Eiropas Savienībā (Latvian Interests in the European Union). She was a chairwoman of the Strategic Analysis Commission under the Auspices of the President of Latvia (2004-2008) and a member of the European Research Area Board (European Commission) (2008-2012). She was engaged in different international projects commissioned by the European Parliament, the European Commission, NATO and other international bodies. She chairs the Foreign Affairs Council of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is a member of the ECFR (European Council of Foreign Affairs) Council and the Baltic Development Forum. Anne-Ly Reimaa is Head of International Relations on Integration Issues, Cultural Diversity Department, Ministry of Culture of Estonia. Dalia Bankauskaitė is an Adjunct Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), Washington, D.C. and an associated professor at Vilnius University. Her research focus is strategic communication, society’s resilience and trust building, society’s mobilization and motivation. She has extensive professional experience in dealing with the public and private sectors in strategic and integrated communication, and project management in Lithuania, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia in the field of European integration. In addition, she has diplomatic experience with the Lithuanian Embassy in Moscow. Ms. Bankauskaitė holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics (LSE), UK and EMBA from the Baltic Management Institute (BMI) in Lithuania. Glen Grant works as a defence and reform expert in Ukraine working for the Ukrainian Institute for the Future. He is also a Senior Fellow in the UK Institute for Statecraft on their Building Integrity Initiative countering Russian influence. Glen graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Junior Staff Course Warminster and the Joint Staff Defence College at the Royal Naval College Greenwich. His key work in the last twenty years has been delivering reform and change for defence and security organisations in Europe. He has worked in the Defence Ministries of Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Poland, Albania, Kosovo, Slovenia, Serbia and Chile.  As a business consultant he has worked with telecoms, agriculture, publishing and manufacturing. During his 37 year military career Glen commanded the UK Military Prison and an Artillery battery of 8 tracked guns. He worked on the operational and policy staffs in many different British and NATO Headquarters and MOD UK. This work involved him supporting many operations including both Gulf wars, Bosnia and Kosovo. He was Defence Attaché in Finland, Estonia and Latvia. In 2016 Glen was Project Manager in MOD Ukraine running a one year UK funded project “Reform of Defence Housing” and in January 2018 published a groundbreaking paper on reform of the Ukraine military in Kiev Post. He is a skilled change manager with a Masters degree in the Leadership of Innovation and Change from York St John University in UK.  Glen lives in Latvia and is a faculty member of Riga Business School lecturing on the Bachelor of Business Administration course in Strategy, HRM, Crisis Management and Entrepreneurship. Tadas Jakštas is an Energy Security Expert at NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence (NATO ENSEC COE). He has been appointed as NATO Civilian Expert on energy security in the Baltic Sea Region.  His main expertise is on kinetic and non-kinetic threats to energy supplies, the protection of critical energy infrastructure, and resilience. Before joining NATO ENSEC COE, Dr Jakštas worked at NATO Allied Command Transformation and the Council of the European Union where he focused on cyber security, and defence policy issues. He holds a PhD in Government from the University of Essex and two postgraduate degrees in International Relations and Security Studies from Leiden University and the University of Southampton. Otto Tabuns is a visiting lecturer at the Riga Graduate School of Law and co-host of Latvia Weekly current affairs podcast. He has previous experience in strategic communication and defense planning. Otto is an author of articles on Latvian and European security in fields such as regional military cooperation and societal security. He is the Executive Director of the Baltic Security Strategy Project, a member of Latvian Association of Political Scientists, Latvian Japan Alumni Association, and the Association for Advancement of Baltic Studies.   Olevs Nikers is a senior analyst at the Jamestown Foundation and a member of the Association for Advancement of Baltic Studies. He is an army and defense professional since 2001, and serves as a Chief Expert for the Ministry of Defense of Latvia. A Fulbright alumnus, Olevs has earned his Master’s degree in International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, in 2016. He graduated from the Baltic Defense College Civil Servants Course, in 2003, as well as the University of Latvia in Political Science, in 2001. From 2009 to 2010, he was the chairman of the international affairs and security policy think tank for the political party “Jaunais Laiks” (New Era). Olevs was recipient of the Transatlantic Fellowship Program of The World Affairs Institute in 2018. He is Director of the Baltic Security Strategy Project and PhD student at the Riga Stradins University.