September 14: “The West and Russia: Bridges or Walls?” & latest publication

What is the future of Russia-West relations in the light of the Warsaw Summit and other recent developments? Can we speak about any forms of dialogue, or we can only build walls in the foreseeable future? What is needed to manage confrontation and to rebuild trust? These are just some of the questions that directly concern the broader Euro-Atlantic community including Latvia.

Latvian Institute of International Affairs continues a tradition of such debates among experts and policy-makers, and invites you to take part in the public discussion “The West and Russia: Bridges or Walls?” and presentation of our latest publication, “Riga Dialogue Afterthoughts 2016: Building Bridges for Euro-Atlantic Security”, that will take place on 14 September 2016 from 12:00-13:30 at the Hotel Bergs (Elizabetes 83/85, Glass Hall, 6^th floor).

Speakers at the event include Reinhard Krumm (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Baltic States), Ekaterina Chimiris (Russian International Affairs Council), Bruno Lété (German Marshall Fund of the United States), and Amb. Imants Lieģis (former Defence Minister of Latvia; European Leadership Network). Opening remarks will be delivered by Andris Spruds (Latvian Institute of International Affairs), Werner Rechmann (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Vienna), and Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš (Saeima of the Republic of Latvia).

The publication to be presented is a follow-up to the annual Riga Dialogue conference that endeavours to reflect the recognisable diversity of perceptions and interests among a variety of stakeholders in the Euro-Atlantic area, and offer insights for increasing mutual trust and outlining common efforts. This year’s Afterthoughts continue the tradition of providing these insights by leading international experts on Euro-Atlantic and regional security developments, as well as challenges and opportunities for the dialogue. The Afterthoughts also include the summary of opinions and ideas debated during the Riga Dialogue Conference that took place in Riga, in May 2016.

The publication will be available for free at the event and later, in PDF format, at www.liia.lv.

Please register here: http://ej.uz/BridgesWalls

Mass media are welcome! For additional info and interviews, please contact Ms Sintija Broka: sintija [dot] broka [at] liia [dot] lv.

The project “Riga Dialogue 2016: Building Bridges for Euro-Atlantic Security” is a collective eff­ort of Latvian Institute of International Affairs, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Nuclear Threat Initiative, European Leadership Network, and German Marshall Fund of the United States.