From 11 to 13 December 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a Joint Training Programme for Junior Diplomats from the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) countries and the United Kingdom. The comprehensive programme was aimed at fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among junior diplomats, thereby providing a unique platform for understanding contemporary geopolitical challenges from Latvia’s perspective.
The formal proceedings began on 12 December at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where delegates were welcomed by Rūta Radiņa, Head of Baltic, Nordic Countries and Regional Cooperation Division. The day featured a series of insightful presentations and discussions by key figures in Latvian diplomacy. Andrejs Pildegovičs, Ambassador-at-Large and Director of the United Nations Security Council Task Force, brought up the subject of “Together for Peace and Resilience”. Katarina Plātere, Director General of the Bilateral Relations Directorate, provided insights on “Ukraine and Russia”. Imants Lieģis, Adviser to the Minister of Defence on International Relations, addressed “The Latvian perspective on recent changes to the regional security environment”.
Further programme for the day included a discussion about the threats of disinformation, featuring Jānis Sārts, Director of NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, and Jānis Kažociņš, former National Security Adviser to the President of Latvia. The delegates also participated in a workshop on information influence operations in hybrid warfare, especially deepfake cases, facilitated by experts from the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence.
On 13 December, the participants were given a tour of the Occupation Museum of Latvia with an introduction from, and discussion with Dr.hist. Gints Apals, followed by a visit to the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia (Saeima) and an active questions and answers session with Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The event concluded with a discussion on “NATO and Euro-Atlantic Security” with Baiba Braže, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia.
This Joint Training Programme not only provided a unique opportunity for diplomatic engagement and knowledge sharing but also fostered lasting connections among the participating junior diplomats. The organizers expressed gratitude to all those involved, emphasizing the importance of collaborative initiatives of this kind in shaping the future of international diplomacy, especially by working together and coordinating within the NB8+UK format, which has been described by various participants throughout the programme as a very important and pragmatic one.
On previous occasions, the NB8 + UK Joint Training Programme for Junior Diplomats has been organised in London and in Tallinn.
