The Rīga Conference 2023 is a dynamic hybrid event. It blends a traditional face-to-face meeting with remote streamlined interactions both among speakers and participants, in Latvia and abroad. Side events will already begin to take place on October 19.
Hybrid event blends traditional face-to-face with remote streamlined interactions among speakers and participants in Latvia and abroad.
Please register here!
October 19, 2023
The National Library of Latvia and online
11:00 – 12:00
Between Scylla and Charybdis: Navigating with the Sino-Russian Axis
The Transatlantic alliance and its partners are facing a two-front challenge from a solidifying Sino-Russian axis. Their cooperation and coordination are intensifying across domains and geographies as they share a common goal of reshaping international order to make it safe for their autocratic regimes. Arctic and the European High North is the latest of these geographies where cooperation between China and Russia is intensifying. As climate change and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine reshape the geopolitics of the Arctic, the Transatlantic alliance will need to pay closer attention to this vast region and the interlinkages to the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic in the decades to come.
Jonathan Berkshire Miller, Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign Affairs, National Defence and National Security at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Brigadier (Ret’d) Robbie Boyd OBE, Associate Fellow at the at the Royal United Services Institute
Balkan Devlen, Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Elisabeth Bauer, Policy Analyst, Member of the Board of the Women in International Security, Germany
Moderator: Dr Joris Van Bladel, Senior Associate Fellow at the Egmont Institute
12:30 – 13:30
Defence Cooperation between Latvia and the United States: Beyond Strategic Partnership and into the Future
Cooperation in security and defence with the US is one of the top priorities in Latvian defence policy. The current State Defence Concept (SDC) states that the United States “is Latvia’s main strategic partner”. This partnership has a broad agenda. It ranges from ministry level political consultations (MOD and MFA) to military exercises. Latvia hosts several hundred U.S. soldiers as part of a rotational military presence, which is provided in reaction to increasing Russian aggression in the region. The defence partnership between Latvia and the US will continue to play a vital role in Latvian national security efforts. This partnership, along with similar efforts in other states around the Baltic Sea, will continue to prioritize deterrence and defence against Russian aggression. Ensuring the efficiency of these efforts is vital for maintaining peace and stability for Latvia and its Baltic neighbours, and for the entire European continent. What are the success stories and lessons to be learnt from this long-term cooperation? What opportunities are there for future cooperation and what might be the next steps in the partnership between Latvia and the US?
Julia Jacoby, Charge d' Affaires of the United States to the Republic of Latvia
Airis Rikveilis, Defence Counsellor of Latvia to the United States
Imants Lieģis, Associated Researcher at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs
Moderator: Elīna Egle, Chairwoman of the Board, Federation of Security and Defence Industries of Latvia
14:00 – 15:00
Evolution and Innovation: The Sustainable Business Transformation
In an era defined by its environmental and security challenges, and economic shifts, it is increasingly important to explore how the crucial nexus between urban sustainability, sustainable business development, and public-private partnerships can accelerate sustainable transformation. This discourse explores how businesses can drive sustainable urban transformation. Through a comprehensive examination of public-private partnerships, it is possible to demonstrate the potential of collaborative synergy between government and businesses to accelerate sustainable urban development and economic growth. Which innovative strategies and practices can enable organizations to thrive, while contributing to environmental and societal well-being? How can we promote the dynamic evolution of sustainable business models, paving the way for a brighter, more sustainable future for urban environments and the economy?
Viktors Toropovs, Head of Sustainability Development at SEB Latvia
Mārtiņš Čakste, Chief Executive Officer of Latvenergo AS
Fredis Bikovs, Managing Director, Riga Investment and Tourism Agency
Evita Goša, Environmental and Legal Director, Member of the Management Board of SCHWENK Latvija
Moderator: Agnese Alksne-Bensone, Founder of the Sustainability partners, SIA
15:30 – 16:30
The Future of Transatlantic Trade Relations: EU-US Cooperation and Challenges
The EU and the US have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world and have the most integrated economic relationship. The US remains the largest EU trade partner in services. Although EU and US trade policies are aligned in numerous domains, tensions can arise between the two partners due to extensive bilateral trade interactions and differing policy approaches on selected issues. Despite successful economic integration, certain tariff and non-tariff barriers persist. In the past few decades, the EU and the US have addressed these matters through numerous bilateral dialogues, summits, and trade agreement negotiations. How can the current key trade disputes or disagreements between the EU and the US be overcome? How have security concerns, especially related to telecommunications and technology, as well as tariffs, influenced EU and US trade relations?
Barry C. Lynn, Executive Director of the Open Markets Institute
Dr.habil.oec. Inna Šteinbuka, Head of the Fiscal Discipline Council of the Republic of Latvia
Mateusz M. Piotrowski, Senior Analyst for U.S. Policy and Transatlantic Relations with the International Security Programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs
Ana Birchall, Deputy Prime Minister, Romania 2018-2019
Moderator: Alan Riley, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council
16:45 – 17:45
Workshop Russia 2030
The workshop is co-organized with Association for International Affairs (Czech Republic)
Pavel Havlicek, Research Fellow at the Association for International Affairs (AMO)
18:00 – 19:00
EU Enlargement and the Call for Reform: What’s in it for the Baltics?
In this event, experts from the Baltic and European policy community will address the interconnection between the possibilities unlocked by future EU enlargement, and the challenges outlined by proponents of EU reform. The Baltic States were among the main beneficiaries of EU enlargement in 2004. EU enlargement strengthened their democratic institutions and their economies have been transformed. Today, the Baltic States are among the most vocal advocates of EU accession for Ukraine and Moldova. However, the Baltics are not present in the wider European debate about the practical pre-conditions for enlargement. When it comes to EU reform, the Baltic States are part of a wider group of countries (along with Central European and Nordic member states) that have so far rejected proposals that would stress greater political coherence on questions of foreign and security policy, and budget policy. The countries promoting EU reform argue that reforms are needed to preserve the EU's ability to react to new geopolitical challenges, especially if the number of voting member states is to be increased. Is there a way out of this political impasse? What should be the role of the Baltic States in making the next EU enlargement possible? These will be the questions addressed by this panel.
Ian Bond, Director of Foreign Policy at the Centre for European Reform
Justinas Mickus, Senior Policy Analysist at STRATA
Etienne Ranaivoson, the Head of the EU External Relations Department at the EU Directorate of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the European Correspondent of the Political Director
Jānis Bērziņš, Director General for EU Coordination and Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
Moderator: Marija Golubeva, Baltic Initiative on European Reform