The Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA), in cooperation with the European Commission’s Representation in Latvia and the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, is honored to invite you to the annual high-level international conference: “The Baltic-Nordic EU Conversations 2023: More United than Ever? that will be held on March 17, 2023, at the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia and online.
8.30–9.00: Morning coffee and registration
9.00–9.15: Opening addresses
- Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Parliament of Latvia
- Kārlis Bukovskis, Director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs
- Zane Petre, Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia
9.15–9.45: Opening KEYNOTE CONVERSATION
Moderator: Juha Jokela, Programme Director of the European Union research programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine resulted in a strong response from the EU in the form of sanctions against Russia, political isolation of aggressor and massive political, financial, military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. In addition to the suffering of the Ukrainian population, the war is indirectly affecting the socioeconomic situation of EU citizens, including energy crisis and high inflation. The aim of this conversation is to outline the instruments and policies that the European Commission has to mitigate the negative effects of the war on the EU’s businesses and citizens.
The project has grown into one of the largest EU-themed high-level international conferences in Europe, and this year, we are proud to expand our cooperation boundaries from the Baltic to Baltic-Nordic conversations.
This year we will discuss not only the state of play in political and economic issues. We will also discuss the EU’s place in the world; how the EU is helping its citizens during these dire times of Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine; the future of the European Union; the climate and energy issues, as well as the future of Ukraine and the rule of law in the European Union. We will touch upon the case of the European Union finally becoming a military power and will seek to understand what could be done with the growing migration concerns.
This year, five out of nine conversations will be organized by our partners from their respective capitals. For the first time, we will have an event organized simultaneously in Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Copenhagen.
“The Baltic-Nordic EU Conversations 2023” is supported by the Representation of the European Commission in Latvia and the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. The conference is organized in cooperation with the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University, the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS), the Finnish, Swedish, and Danish partners, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
Learn more here.
