The Next 100 Years: UK- Baltic Cooperation in Euro-Atlantic Security 

The European Leadership Network hosted an event in Westminster Hall to discuss ‘The Next 100 Years: UK-Baltic Cooperation in Euro-Atlantic Security’ on 31 January. Attended and co-hosted by the Ambassadors of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the talk coincided with celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of Baltic statehood.

Chaired by former UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Sir Malcom Rifkin, speakers included Senior Policy Fellow at European Council on Foreign Relations Kadri Liik, (ECFR); Director at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science (Vilnius University) Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas; Director of the Latvian Institute for International Affairs Andris Spruds; and Director of Foreign Policy at the Centre for European Reform Ian Bond. Topics covered included the UK and Baltic 3 perspectives on NATO and its role in Euro-Atlantic security, plus the future of UK-Baltic relations in the context of Brexit.

In his introductory comments, Sir Malcolm Rifkin said the centenary was a historic occasion, praising the “remarkable achievements” of the Baltic countries since 1991.  Speaking from the UK perspective, Ian Bond stated “the UK has much to learn from its Baltic friends… We must carry on working together. The security of the Baltic region cannot be divorced from the security of our own…”