LIIA presents the official website of the New Silk Road Programme

The Latvian Institute of International Affairs with the support of the State Joint Stock Company “Latvijas dzelzceļš” and “LDz Loģistika” presents the official website of the New Silk Road Programme: www.jzc.lai.lv and offers an exclusive interview with Mr. Edvīns Bērziņš, President of the Latvian Railway.

As of July 2017, Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA) has launched the New Silk Road Programme. In the context of the development of the New Silk Road interconnectivity initiatives, the LIIA New Silk Road Programme aims at promoting and coordinating research activities involving countries and regions in Europe and Asia integrated into the initiatives along the New Silk Road, conceptualising and assessing the involvement of Latvia into the transportation, logistics, information, financial, digital and human capital exchange connected to China's Belt and Road Initiative, providing expertise on China’s initiatives involving the Baltic region, including the China-CEEC “16+1” cooperation mechanisms, representing Latvia at think tank networks and participating in research activities related to the assessment of the developments along the New Silk Road, as well as assessing the prospects and strategies of India, Iran, Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries in the context of forming Eurasian infrastructural and civilizational highways.

In this relatively short period,   cooperation with a number of international partners has already been set in motion, including the Institute of International & Civil Security (IICS), Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi. Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Fudan University, Shanghai, Shanghai Institute for European Studies, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo Maritime Silk Road Institute, Ningbo Municipal People's Government and Ningbo Municipal Commission of Commerce. Our partners also include European Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo Academy of Social Sciences, China Association of International Trade and Ningbo CEEC Cooperation Institute.  The programme is developing cooperation with  new partners in China and other regions.

Via the New Silk Road programme, we at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs aim at conceptualising the integration along Eurasian infrastructural and civilizational highways. We welcome cooperation and synergy between academia, businesses, government bodies, NGOs and the general public, as we strive for a better understanding of global and regional interconnectivity.