Estabilished in 2019, The Baltic Security Foundation (BSF) promotes the security and defense of the Baltic Sea region.

The Foundation is a result of the Baltic Security Strategy Project (2017-2019) that gathered experts on defence, societal security and economic security to assess the shared challenges for the Baltic States and recommend solutions.

BSF gathers Baltic experts and security experts from the region and beyond. It provides a platform for discussion and research, expert networking, expert mobility, and promotes finding and advocating for solutions that lead to a stronger regional security in military and other areas.

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Olevs

Olevs Nikers, President

Senior analyst at the Jamestown Foundation. Former chief expert at the Ministry of Defense of Latvia (2001-2019).

Otto

Otto Tabuns, Director

Foreign and security policy expert for 10 years. Co-host of the “Latvia Weekly” political news program.

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Between Brussels and Beijing

Our new book on the transatlantic response to China

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Our Recent Articles

Regional Activities 2019

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Regional Activities 2019

By BSF Team on October 31, 2019

October 2019 has been busy for the Baltic Security Foundation, pursuing our goal of fostering and promoting Baltic defense and security. The team has both participated in and organized events covering regional security issues. The Rīga Conference 2019 took place on October 11th and 12th. Mr. Olevs Nikers and Mr. Otto Tabuns were both invited to participate. The agenda included current challenges, such as the issue of EU and NATO identities as well as understanding European strategic autonomy.

Texas A&M University Students Participate in BSF Young Leaders Mobility Program

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Texas A&M University Students Participate in BSF Young Leaders Mobility Program

By BSF Team on October 10, 2019

In October 2019, Baltic Security Foundation hosted Master of International Affairs students from Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service for the Young Leaders Mobility Program in Rīga. The students were led by Dr. Gabriela Marin-Thornton. While on the program, the students had the opportunity to visit the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament, and participated in the Rīga Conference, organized by the Latvian MFA, MoD, and Latvian Transatlantic Organisation.

Why Stopping Nord Stream 2 Matters for the Baltics

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Why Stopping Nord Stream 2 Matters for the Baltics

By Matthew Thomas on October 10, 2019

Nord Stream 2 is a Russian gas pipeline project running mostly parallel to the current Nord Stream pipeline from Vyborg to Greifswald, Germany. This second line would allow for additional gas flows directly from Russia to Western Europe up to a potential 110 billion cubic meters annually. At face value, this expansion is an economic opportunity that makes sense for Germany and other potential Western European customers. In a perfect world, it would be just that.

Improving the Baltic States’ Maritime Security

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Improving the Baltic States’ Maritime Security

By Matthew Thomas on September 25, 2019

Maritime operations have once again been a major theme of recent headlines in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Following the NATO BALTOPS exercises this summer, repeated violations of the Baltic States’ airspace by Russia, and observing current combat diving operations in Tallinn Bay, maritime security issues are particularly relevant. Unfortunately, given the long-standing emphasis on land-based deterrence, the maritime domain has largely been neglected. BALTOPS 2019 revealed a key weakness for naval operations: the shallow and largely unmarked coastline hampered amphibious landing operations in Lithuania.