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Great Power Competition in the Baltic Sea Region

June 17, 2021 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Collaborations and partnerships exceed regional limits and are global. As are threats to stability and prosperity. The Baltic Sea region has dramatically transformed within 30 years. Nordic countries like Sweden and Finland have increased their presence in the West via membership in the European Union and closer collaboration with NATO. The re-established Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have become full members of the West via joining EU and NATO nearly two decades ago. The aspect that has not changed over these years has been the support and engagement of the United States of America in the Baltic Sea region. Stable US engagement enables stability in the Baltic Sea region.

Meanwhile, the great power competition has not disappeared. The traditional interest of Russia to dominate the Baltic Sea has now been joined by increasing interest of China. Growing instability and hostility in the countries to the East from the EU does not allow to take the geopolitical stability for granted. Therefore, it is the task of this discussion to answer what should be the next steps for the United States and its partners in the Baltic Sea region?

Opening remarks by Maris Selga, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the United States of America

Discussants:


  • Daniel S. Hamilton, Director of the Global Europe Program at Wilson Centre, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins SAIS.

  • Gunilla Herolf, Senior Associate Research Fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, former researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

  • Karlis Bukovskis, Fulbright Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins SAIS, Deputy Director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs

Moderated by Sarma Gintere, Third Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States of America

Location: Online SAIS Event