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Regional Activities 2019

Regional Activities 2019

By BSF Team in Activities

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

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

By BSF Team in Mobility

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

Why Stopping Nord Stream 2 Matters for the Baltics

By Matthew Thomas in Policy

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

Improving the Baltic States’ Maritime Security

By Matthew Thomas in Security

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.

Baltic Security Foundation Presents at the ECPR General Conference in Wrocław

Baltic Security Foundation Presents at the ECPR General Conference in Wrocław

By BSF Team in Activities

September 9, 2019

BSF President Mr. Olevs Nikers and BSF Director Mr. Otto Tabuns took part in the panel “Addressing Security Challenges in the Baltic Region through Multilateral Cooperation” of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) 13th General Conference September 5, 2019 in Wrocław, Poland. During his presentation “Sub-Regional Defense Synchronization – Theory Perspectives and Security Expectations for the Baltics,” Mr. Nikers outlined and discussed the origin and sustainability of the modern security alliance between small countries.

Is Baltic Security Important for the U.S., NATO, and Europe? Absolutely!

Is Baltic Security Important for the U.S., NATO, and Europe? Absolutely!

By Matthew Thomas in Policy

August 25, 2019

The three Baltic States are key members of the NATO defensive alliance. Since regaining independence after the illegal Soviet occupation, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have all become deeply integrated into Western institutions, such as NATO and the EU. These small countries, understanding the potential peril of reoccupation by a resurgent Russia after the annexation of Crimea, have been extremely vocal in sounding the alarm that Russia remains a security threat. They understand that the West must get serious about security lest its more vulnerable members once more get trampled.

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